The Facts
The foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan pledged to further strengthen trilateral cooperation on security and counterterrorism during the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan trilateral foreign minister's dialogue in Islamabad on Sunday.
Foreign ministers Qin Gang of the PRC, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of Pakistan, and Amir Khan Muttaqi of Afghanistan discussed deepening bilateral cooperation in trade, the economy, culture, and defense.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
As it has already done with Iran and Saudi Arabia, China's goal in the Middle East is to bolster anti-terrorism security ties and economic partnerships with countries in the region. This is also an opportunity for Beijing to encourage and lead peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan, who in recent years have had bitter territorial disputes near their borders.
Anti-China narrative
Beijing has realized it cannot win over the West. Instead, it's looking for opportunities in the Global South — regions of the world that are in America's geographical and political backyard like Latin America and the Middle East. As Beijing aims to reshape the international order by reforming global structures to meet today's political reality, Washington must step up its efforts in these regions and put a stop to the PRC's ambitions.
