Wang Wenbin, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, on Wednesday, announced that for the first time, the Taliban has given a written pledge to not allow terrorists like the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) to operate from Afghanistan.
He said that the Taliban made the commitment during the triliteral meeting recently held in Islamabad.
He called on the Taliban to also protect the rights and interests of Afghan women and children.
Wenbin said that the Taliban must adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies.
He spoke about China’s expectations from the Taliban regarding security and said that the group must take a firmer stance on countering terrorism and strive for more tangible outcomes.
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson described Beijing “as a traditionally friendly neighbour of Afghanistan” and said that China always believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community.
Wenbin added that the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan should be encouraged, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country should be respected.
The spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs made these remarks after the trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, the Taliban, and Pakistan.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, China has established close relations with the group with the aim of accessing Afghanistan's natural resources. However, due to security threats and sanctions imposed by the US and other Western governments on the Taliban, China is facing restrictions to start its mining projects in Afghanistan.
At the same time, Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, also wrote in a tweet that he met and discussed the situation in Afghanistan with Wang Yu, the Chinese ambassador in Kabul.
According to Karzai, in this meeting, the Chinese ambassador emphasised on peace and stability in Afghanistan.
