China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have vowed to deepen trilateral cooperation on security and counterterrorism at a meeting of the three nations’ foreign ministers in Islamabad. The ministers agreed to maintain good relations, build political mutual trust, respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and settle differences and disputes through equal consultation. Afghanistan, which has suffered an economic and humanitarian crisis since the withdrawal of US forces, hopes to attract Chinese investment in its mineral reserves, including copper and lithium. The Taliban-led government seeks China’s help to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and to end its international isolation. China, which has invested heavily in Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), expressed its interest in investing in Afghanistan and integrating it into regional economic cooperation and connectivity. The three sides also agreed to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation, and China and Pakistan expressed their support for the Taliban-led government to strengthen its capacity to deal with terrorist actors.