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The push to extend CPEC into Afghanistan reflects China’s long-term goal of deepening its influence across South and Central Asia
The CPEC expansion into Kabul could reshape regional trade routes. (AI Image for repesentation)
A fresh push has begun to extend the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan, a move that could reshape regional trade routes but has also raised questions about its implications for India. The initiative was discussed during a high-level meeting in Kabul where the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan agreed to strengthen cooperation on this project.
The trilateral talks took place between the foreign ministers of all three nations – Wang Yi, Ishaq Dar, and Amir Khan Muttaki – where all the three sides endorsed plans to integrate Afghanistan into the corridor that already links China’s Xinjiang province with Pakistan’s Gwadar port. This extension, they said, would revive parts of the ancient Silk Road and potentially connect China to Iran through Afghan territory.
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The CPEC as it stands today stretches nearly 2,500 km from Kashgar in Xinjiang to Gwadar on Pakistan’s Arabian Sea coast. If expanded into Afghanistan, the route could gain an additional 350 km, and if linked to more Afghan cities, its total length would surpass 3,000 km. That extended network would link Gwadar to Kashgar and from there to Kabul, with future extensions envisioned towards Iran.
Possible Entry Points
Geographically, the most viable entry for the CPEC into Afghanistan is through the Wakhjir Pass, perched at 4,923 metres above sea level. This is the only road link between Afghanistan and China. The route could begin in Kashgar, traverse the Karakoram Highway, and then move through Bozai Gombad before entering Afghanistan via Wakhjir. From there, it could connect Kabul with Afghanistan’s broader road system and eventually reach the Iranian border.
Alternative Path
Experts say another possibility lies in the Wakhan Corridor, a remote 350-km strip of land in Afghanistan’s northeast that directly touches Xinjiang. However, its rugged mountains and narrow width, ranging between 13 and 65 km, make it one of the least traversed routes on Earth. Security risks in the area further complicate its use. As a fallback, China could instead use the Karakoram Highway via Pakistan and integrate it with Afghanistan’s Peshawar-Kabul network, which analysts consider a more practical option.
Through Contested Territory
Any route from Gwadar to Kabul would inevitably pass through Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). That segment, which could cover cities such as Gwadar, Quetta, Peshawar, Gilgit, Jalalabad, Kabul, Kandahar, Helmand, Nimroz, and Kashgar, remains the most politically sensitive stretch because of India’s objections.
India’s Mixed Outlook
For India, the project presents both potential opportunities and serious concerns. On the positive side, increased stability in Afghanistan could improve trade flows and enhance India’s ability to export goods to Central Asia. India’s investment in Iran’s Chabahar Port is already designed to provide such access, and a stable Afghan corridor could complement those efforts.
Yet, India has consistently opposed the CPEC, arguing that its passage through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir constitutes a direct infringement of Indian sovereignty. Officials said that such projects not only undermined India’s territorial claims but could also alter the security balance in the region.
The push to extend CPEC into Afghanistan reflects China’s long-term goal of deepening its influence across South and Central Asia. While China and Pakistan hail the project as a driver of connectivity and growth, India views it as a geopolitical maneuver with implications far beyond trade. The latest Kabul meeting may have set the stage for new routes, but it has also sharpened the debate over whether the corridor will bring stability to the region—or new fault lines.
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