A momentous development—likely to be overshadowed by the national grief and fury following the Khuzdar attack—took place on Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Afghanistan’s Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Beijing, where all three sides agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan. This strategic shift places a powerful new card on the table—one that could redefine Afghanistan’s future.

Since the U.S. withdrawal, Afghanistan has remained in a state of political and economic uncertainty. It now faces a critical choice: remain tethered to Indian patronage, which offers........

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