As Kabul hosted China’s Special Envoy Yue Xiaoyong this week, diplomatic gestures and economic promises signaled a rare moment of optimism for Afghanistan. In his meeting with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Yue reaffirmed China’s long-term commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s political stabilization and economic revival. “Peace and reconstruction require cooperation,” he stated on X, referencing the May 2025 Beijing trilateral involving China, Pakistan, and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The visit marks another step in what appears to be a quiet but deliberate Chinese effort to draw Afghanistan into regional economic integration, largely through the expansion of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
From Kabul’s side, the response was both diplomatic and emotional. The Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson shared that Muttaqi had expressed deep appreciation for Beijing’s support, calling it a “promising start toward a bright future.” In a country where more than 85% of the population lives below the poverty line and formal employment opportunities remain scarce, even symbolic gestures of regional partnership carry the weight of real hope.
A Promise of Reconstruction Meets Political Resistance
While Chinese and Afghan officials exchanged warm statements about cooperation and shared prosperity, India responded with sharp resistance. On July 25, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Kriti Vardhan Singh, reiterated New Delhi’s objection to any CPEC-related projects passing through what it terms “Indian territory”, a reference to Pakistan-administered Kashmir. But the concern voiced was broader than geography. India described the extension of CPEC into Afghanistan as “unacceptable,” a statement that appeared less about borders and more about regional power dynamics.
Afghanistan, it must be noted, lies outside the disputed Kashmir region, and its participation in the project does not directly touch upon India’s territorial claims. The opposition, therefore, seems to stem from the deeper geopolitical discomfort India harbors toward China’s growing role in South and Central Asia, especially when facilitated through its traditional rival, Pakistan. By opposing Afghanistan’s integration into the corridor, India is effectively taking a stand against any initiative that allows its neighbors to deepen cooperation without it.
India’s Sovereignty Argument: Strategic Logic or Diplomatic Smokescreen?
India has long opposed the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly CPEC, on the grounds that it legitimizes Pakistan’s control over Gilgit-Baltistan. Yet, the recent escalation in rhetoric coincides with increasing signs that China is successfully reengaging Afghanistan in both diplomatic and economic arenas. Beijing has already accepted a Taliban-appointed envoy, while India, though maintaining a limited presence in Kabul and occasionally engaging with Taliban leadership, such as Jaishankar’s call to Muttaqi after the Pahalgam attack, continues to avoid formal recognition of the Islamic Emirate.
New Delhi’s argument, while grounded in legalese about sovereignty, fails to acknowledge the pressing needs of the Afghan people or the potential for regional stability that connectivity could bring. Instead of offering an alternative framework for Afghan integration, India’s position appears more about limiting options than creating them.
CPEC: A Lifeline for Afghanistan?
For Afghanistan, the expansion of CPEC represents not just a trade corridor but a shot at survival. Landlocked and battered by decades of war and international isolation, the country urgently needs infrastructure, energy access, and external markets. CPEC’s proposed extension would provide access to Gwadar Port, improve transit routes, and open new avenues for energy and railway investment. These could prove vital in a nation where basic infrastructure is decaying, unemployment is rampant, and international aid is dwindling.
While critics of Chinese-backed infrastructure projects often raise concerns about debt dependency, pointing to cases like Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port, Afghanistan is not handing over its ports; it is trying to join a trade route. What Afghanistan seeks is not a loan it cannot repay, but a chance to reconnect with the region and become more than a geopolitical buffer zone.
India’s Dilemma: Risking Isolation in a Changing Region
Despite its aspirations for regional leadership, India now finds itself increasingly isolated in the very heart of Asia. Russia, China, and Pakistan are steadily building a consensus around pragmatic engagement with the Taliban. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are exploring trade links through Afghanistan. Even Gulf nations like the UAE and Qatar have increased their diplomatic overtures to Kabul. By refusing to adjust to this new regional reality, India is at risk of appearing rigid and out of step, clinging to older strategic paradigms while others move toward economic reintegration and cooperation.
The hardline opposition to CPEC’s expansion into Afghanistan, instead of strengthening India’s strategic position, may well diminish its influence in the long run. As regional economic corridors begin to define the political future of Central and South Asia, exclusion from these developments could come at a steep cost.
Conclusion: The Case for Cooperation over Competition
The debate over Afghanistan’s inclusion in CPEC is not just a contest over maps, it is a question of whether the region can prioritize development over division. For Pakistan and China, the expansion of CPEC is part of a broader vision of connectivity that includes not only roads and rails, but shared futures. For Afghanistan, it is a rare invitation to rejoin the region from which it has long been cut off.
India has every right to defend its sovereignty. But it must also recognize the difference between safeguarding borders and stifling opportunity, especially for a war-torn neighbor that stands to gain far more than it could ever take away. In a region that has suffered so much from conflict, perhaps it is time to let infrastructure, not ideology, pave the way forward.
Bridging Borders or Blocking Progress? India’s Objection to CPEC’s Afghan Expansion Signals Strategic Anxiety
As Kabul hosted China’s Special Envoy Yue Xiaoyong this week, diplomatic gestures and economic promises signaled a rare moment of optimism for Afghanistan. In his meeting with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Yue reaffirmed China’s long-term commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s political stabilization and economic revival. “Peace and reconstruction require cooperation,” he stated on X, referencing the May 2025 Beijing trilateral involving China, Pakistan, and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The visit marks another step in what appears to be a quiet but deliberate Chinese effort to draw Afghanistan into regional economic integration, largely through the expansion of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
From Kabul’s side, the response was both diplomatic and emotional. The Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson shared that Muttaqi had expressed deep appreciation for Beijing’s support, calling it a “promising start toward a bright future.” In a country where more than 85% of the population lives below the poverty line and formal employment opportunities remain scarce, even symbolic gestures of regional partnership carry the weight of real hope.
A Promise of Reconstruction Meets Political Resistance
While Chinese and Afghan officials exchanged warm statements about cooperation and shared prosperity, India responded with sharp resistance. On July 25, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Kriti Vardhan Singh, reiterated New Delhi’s objection to any CPEC-related projects passing through what it terms “Indian territory”, a reference to Pakistan-administered Kashmir. But the concern voiced was broader than geography. India described the extension of CPEC into Afghanistan as “unacceptable,” a statement that appeared less about borders and more about regional power dynamics.
Afghanistan, it must be noted, lies outside the disputed Kashmir region, and its participation in the project does not directly touch upon India’s territorial claims. The opposition, therefore, seems to stem from the deeper geopolitical discomfort India harbors toward China’s growing role in South and Central Asia, especially when facilitated through its traditional rival, Pakistan. By opposing Afghanistan’s integration into the corridor, India is effectively taking a stand against any initiative that allows its neighbors to deepen cooperation without it.
India’s Sovereignty Argument: Strategic Logic or Diplomatic Smokescreen?
India has long opposed the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly CPEC, on the grounds that it legitimizes Pakistan’s control over Gilgit-Baltistan. Yet, the recent escalation in rhetoric coincides with increasing signs that China is successfully reengaging Afghanistan in both diplomatic and economic arenas. Beijing has already accepted a Taliban-appointed envoy, while India, though maintaining a limited presence in Kabul and occasionally engaging with Taliban leadership, such as Jaishankar’s call to Muttaqi after the Pahalgam attack, continues to avoid formal recognition of the Islamic Emirate.
New Delhi’s argument, while grounded in legalese about sovereignty, fails to acknowledge the pressing needs of the Afghan people or the potential for regional stability that connectivity could bring. Instead of offering an alternative framework for Afghan integration, India’s position appears more about limiting options than creating them.
CPEC: A Lifeline for Afghanistan?
For Afghanistan, the expansion of CPEC represents not just a trade corridor but a shot at survival. Landlocked and battered by decades of war and international isolation, the country urgently needs infrastructure, energy access, and external markets. CPEC’s proposed extension would provide access to Gwadar Port, improve transit routes, and open new avenues for energy and railway investment. These could prove vital in a nation where basic infrastructure is decaying, unemployment is rampant, and international aid is dwindling.
While critics of Chinese-backed infrastructure projects often raise concerns about debt dependency, pointing to cases like Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port, Afghanistan is not handing over its ports; it is trying to join a trade route. What Afghanistan seeks is not a loan it cannot repay, but a chance to reconnect with the region and become more than a geopolitical buffer zone.
India’s Dilemma: Risking Isolation in a Changing Region
Despite its aspirations for regional leadership, India now finds itself increasingly isolated in the very heart of Asia. Russia, China, and Pakistan are steadily building a consensus around pragmatic engagement with the Taliban. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are exploring trade links through Afghanistan. Even Gulf nations like the UAE and Qatar have increased their diplomatic overtures to Kabul. By refusing to adjust to this new regional reality, India is at risk of appearing rigid and out of step, clinging to older strategic paradigms while others move toward economic reintegration and cooperation.
The hardline opposition to CPEC’s expansion into Afghanistan, instead of strengthening India’s strategic position, may well diminish its influence in the long run. As regional economic corridors begin to define the political future of Central and South Asia, exclusion from these developments could come at a steep cost.
Conclusion: The Case for Cooperation over Competition
The debate over Afghanistan’s inclusion in CPEC is not just a contest over maps, it is a question of whether the region can prioritize development over division. For Pakistan and China, the expansion of CPEC is part of a broader vision of connectivity that includes not only roads and rails, but shared futures. For Afghanistan, it is a rare invitation to rejoin the region from which it has long been cut off.
India has every right to defend its sovereignty. But it must also recognize the difference between safeguarding borders and stifling opportunity, especially for a war-torn neighbor that stands to gain far more than it could ever take away. In a region that has suffered so much from conflict, perhaps it is time to let infrastructure, not ideology, pave the way forward.
SAT Commentary
SAT Commentary
SAT Commentaries, a collection of insightful social media threads on current events and social issues, featuring diverse perspectives from various authors.
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