Pakistan is expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan and reviving the trilateral framework

Pakistani Foreign Ministry officials have informed the Senate that preparations are underway to expand the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, as well as revive the Pakistan-Afghanistan trilateral framework, media reported.

Pakistani officials emphasized that the strategic partnership with China is one of the main pillars of Islamabad’s foreign policy and that Pakistan continues to fully support the “One China” policy.

These statements were made in a situation where trade and transit routes between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain closed and bilateral trade faces serious obstacles.

Expanding CPEC to Afghanistan could provide new routes for Afghanistan to access Pakistani ports and global markets, while simultaneously revitalizing the trilateral framework as a platform for economic and security cooperation among the three countries.