While agreeing to pursue closer cooperation on Afghanistan in the future, China and Pakistan have shown readiness to discuss with Kabul the extension of CPEC to Afghanistan.
According to Gwadar Pro on Monday, this was decided during the three-day visit of Prime Minister Imran to Beijing at the invitation of the Chinese leadership. Besides attending the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games 2022, Imran Khan held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
According to the joint statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the two sides highlighted the significance of Gwadar Port as a central pillar of CPEC and important node in “regional connectivity”.
“On Afghanistan, the two sides agreed that a peaceful, stable, united, safe, and secure Afghanistan is fundamental for prosperity and progress in the region,” reads the joint statement. The leadership of China and Pakistan also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of two Foreign Ministers’ meetings of the six neighbouring countries in Afghanistan and looked forward to its next meeting to be held in China.
“They are ready to discuss with Afghanistan the holding of the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue,” read the statement, adding the Chinese side appreciated Pakistan for hosting the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on Afghanistan on 19 December 2021.
