China and Pakistan will consider extending their $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said earlier this week, as part of China's ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond.
China hosted top diplomats from Afghanistan and Pakistan in Beijing on Tuesday in a bid to mediate a long-simmering conflict between the neighboring countries.
Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif joined their Chinese counterpart for the first trilateral minister-level dialogue, to discuss possible economic and security cooperation as China expands its economic interests in Pakistan.