China Urges Taliban To Address Int’l Community’s Concerns Regarding Inclusive Government
The third session of the China-Taliban Liaison Mechanism took place in Beijing.
The third session of the China-Taliban Liaison Mechanism took place in Beijing.
During this meeting, the head of the Asian Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Taliban delegation that China does not intend to interfere in Afghan affairs, but hopes the Taliban will address some of the reasonable concerns of the global community regarding the formation of an inclusive government.
A joint delegation from the Taliban's ministries of foreign affairs, commerce, mines, refugees, and disaster management engaged in discussions with representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on the WeChat social media platform that this session, with the participation of Liu Jinsong, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, and Taliban representatives, took place on Tuesday in Beijing.
The ministry expressed China's expectation for the main countries responsible for the current situation in Afghanistan to fulfil their responsibilities earnestly and return Afghanistan’s frozen funds to the Afghan people.
Discussions also encompassed trade relations, economic cooperation, and humanitarian assistance.
According to information provided by Chinese representatives at the meeting, trade between China and the Taliban amounted to $1.33 billion in the past year.
The Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a press release concerning this meeting, said that discussions encompassed the mechanisms for economic reconstruction in Afghanistan, enhancing trade, capacity building, and fostering cooperation in the mining and trade sectors.
The Taliban reported that China has expressed willingness to offer assistance of 100 million yuan (approximately $13 million) for the resettlement of displaced Afghans.
According to this press release, discussions also touched upon the potential opening of the Hairatan-Delaram corridor and the commencement of mining operations in Logar province.
Although China has not officially recognised the Taliban government as the legitimate authority in Afghanistan, it has accepted the group's ambassador.
