Self-interest as foreign policy

New Delhi must not fret about CPEC entering Kabul, but build on its goodwill within Afghan society

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi travelled to Kabul after completing his engagements in New Delhi and joined his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar to entice the Taliban regime with an offer to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan. The offer came with a rider — both China and Pakistan want Kabul to act against Afghanistan-based terror groups such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and East Turkestan Islamic Movement that pose a threat to their security in exchange for economic cooperation.

Any extension of CPEC to Afghanistan will be a red flag to the Indian side, which has been working on connectivity initiatives centred around Iran’s Chabahar port to bolster trade with Afghanistan and the Central Asian States. (AFP)

This is not the first time the two countries have talked about extending CPEC to Afghanistan, though there are few signs on the ground pointing to progress in this regard. Within Pakistan itself, there are no indications of the manufacturing hubs and power stations that were promised under CPEC, though China has used the flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to widen its strategic footprint within the country.

While India has not signed on for BRI, it has opposed CPEC because a key part of the corridor passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Any extension of CPEC to Afghanistan will be a red flag to the Indian side, which has been working on connectivity initiatives centred around Iran’s Chabahar port to bolster trade with Afghanistan and the Central Asian States. Reports from Kabul indicate that the welcome given to Wang, who met Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund, was more effusive than that for Dar. This reflects the contradictions in the relations between Islamabad and Kabul.

New Delhi should not fret too much about these developments in Afghanistan, though it needs to keep a close watch on China’s efforts to make inroads with an eye on the country’s strategic location and its abundant mineral resources. A realistic approach would be to consolidate Indian influence with the Taliban regime, which had backed New Delhi during Operation Sindoor and condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam. India can build on the goodwill it enjoys among the Afghan people by liberalising visas for students and patients and reviving work on development projects while still nudging the Taliban to improve the position of women and children. A stable Afghanistan also suits the Indian side so that it can keep its eyes firmly on the challenges on the western and northern borders. In a time of great global flux, a compartmentalised view based on self-interest is the path to pursue.