Pakistan is a key point along the routes envisioned for the Belt and Road Initiative, and the country is likely to become an interchange station connecting China and Europe, said a recent commentary, published on Global Times on June 7. 

The initiative is important not only to China and European nations who are at the end of the routes, but also has an impact on countries and regions along the routes such as the Middle East, some former states of the Soviet Union and Pakistan. 

Pakistan is one of the countries with the largest Muslim populations, so although it's not in the Middle East, it sometimes takes on a subtle role in Middle Eastern affairs, said the article. 

The article noted that many European companies have long had their eyes on the region. If China and Europe can work toward closer cooperation in Pakistan, it will be of great significance for promoting regional political stability and economic growth.

The article said that economies along the routes are becoming more open to tripartite cooperation, a new type of economic cooperation model in which two or more countries cooperate and step up investment in third-party countries. Tripartite cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative can offer a platform for them to shake hands, it said.