NEW DELHI: Following talks of speeding up border delimitation at India-China border, Beijing engaged Islamabad in talks to advance CPEC 2.0 and bolster their regional clout amid shifting geopolitical currents.
Wang Yi’s trip to Islamabad came after a trilateral meeting in Kabul with his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts, where the three nations agreed to extend CPEC to Kabul.
"During the Dialogue, the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of Pakistan-China relations and discussed important regional and global issues. They also exchanged in-depth views on multiple facets of bilateral cooperation, including CPEC 2.0, trade and economic relations, multilateral cooperation and people-to-people ties," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a post on X.
The developments came during sixth round of the foreign ministers' strategic dialogue in Islamabad between Pakistan's deputy PM and foreign minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
What is CPEC?
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), known in Chinese as One Belt, One Road, is a flagship project of President Xi Jinping aimed at expanding Beijing’s global footprint. Through massive investments in infrastructure such as power plants, highways, railways, and ports, the initiative has strengthened China’s economic and political ties with regions across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
A central pillar of the BRI is the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), under which Beijing has poured billions of dollars into Pakistan. The projects include road and rail networks, energy plants, and the strategic Gwadar Port linking China’s Xinjiang region to the Arabian Sea. However, CPEC has also faced security challenges, with Chinese nationals and workers targeted by separatist groups in Balochistan and insurgents elsewhere.
Despite these risks, Beijing and Islamabad have pledged to expand cooperation beyond infrastructure, extending into science, technology, industry, and agriculture. China remains Pakistan’s closest ally and major financial supporter, particularly critical as the country grapples with a prolonged economic crisis. Pakistan, in turn, has ramped up security for Chinese workers to safeguard the partnership and ensure progress on CPEC projects.
India has consistently slammed CPEC projects and China and Pakistan for roping in third countries.
"We have seen reports on encouraging proposed participation of third countries in so-called CPEC projects. Any such actions by any party directly infringe on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. India firmly and consistently opposes projects in the so-called CPEC, which are in Indian territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan," MEA had said in 2022.
Wang Yi’s trip to Islamabad came after a trilateral meeting in Kabul with his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts, where the three nations agreed to extend CPEC to Kabul.
"During the Dialogue, the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of Pakistan-China relations and discussed important regional and global issues. They also exchanged in-depth views on multiple facets of bilateral cooperation, including CPEC 2.0, trade and economic relations, multilateral cooperation and people-to-people ties," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a post on X.
The developments came during sixth round of the foreign ministers' strategic dialogue in Islamabad between Pakistan's deputy PM and foreign minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
What is CPEC?
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), known in Chinese as One Belt, One Road, is a flagship project of President Xi Jinping aimed at expanding Beijing’s global footprint. Through massive investments in infrastructure such as power plants, highways, railways, and ports, the initiative has strengthened China’s economic and political ties with regions across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
A central pillar of the BRI is the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), under which Beijing has poured billions of dollars into Pakistan. The projects include road and rail networks, energy plants, and the strategic Gwadar Port linking China’s Xinjiang region to the Arabian Sea. However, CPEC has also faced security challenges, with Chinese nationals and workers targeted by separatist groups in Balochistan and insurgents elsewhere.
Despite these risks, Beijing and Islamabad have pledged to expand cooperation beyond infrastructure, extending into science, technology, industry, and agriculture. China remains Pakistan’s closest ally and major financial supporter, particularly critical as the country grapples with a prolonged economic crisis. Pakistan, in turn, has ramped up security for Chinese workers to safeguard the partnership and ensure progress on CPEC projects.
India has consistently slammed CPEC projects and China and Pakistan for roping in third countries.
"We have seen reports on encouraging proposed participation of third countries in so-called CPEC projects. Any such actions by any party directly infringe on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. India firmly and consistently opposes projects in the so-called CPEC, which are in Indian territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan," MEA had said in 2022.
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