India And China To Undertake Joint Economic Project In Afghanistan; Likely Snubbing Pakistan

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and President of China Xi Jinping have agreed to undertake a joint India-China economic project in Afghanistan, reports PTI. The agreement was reached during the two days of informal talks between both leaders at Wuhan.

Officials from both sides will identify the project during follow up discussions.

This will be China’s first major venture in the war-torn nation where it is seen as tacitly backing Pakistan which is accused by the United States, India and Afghanistan of backing the Taliban and other terrorist outfits in the region.

Last December, China held a trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan to try and sort out the differences between the two countries. It was also there that China announced plans for an extension of its controversial Belt Road Initiative (formerly China Pakistan Economic Corridor) to Afghanistan as well.