Ready To Build Trust With Afghanistan, Counter Foreign Interference, Says China
China’s foreign minister said Beijing is prepared to strengthen trust with Afghanistan and Pakistan while countering foreign interference in the region.
China’s foreign minister said Beijing is prepared to strengthen trust with Afghanistan and Pakistan while countering foreign interference in the region.
Wang Yi also called for joint patrols along the Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of Afghan territory bordering China’s Xinjiang province.
Yi made the remarks during a trilateral meeting with Taliban and Pakistani foreign ministers in Kabul on Wednesday, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.
He said China opposes any individual or organisation using Afghan territory to threaten the sovereignty and security of the region. Wang also noted that China and Pakistan have been at the forefront of supporting Afghanistan’s stability, reconstruction and international engagement, and pledged Beijing would continue to defend Afghanistan’s interests in multilateral forums.
Xinhua reported that Wang emphasised greater international engagement with the Taliban and expressed support for the group’s efforts to normalise diplomatic relations.
The South China Morning Post said Wang also met Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, where he voiced Beijing’s support for the early resumption of bilateral patrols in the Wakhan Corridor to help maintain stability along the mountainous frontier.
The corridor, a narrow strip of Afghan territory, separates Tajikistan and Pakistan, including parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and includes a 74-kilometre border with Xinjiang. China has long expressed concern about Uyghur militants crossing from Afghanistan into its territory through the route.
The Kabul meeting marked the second trilateral talks between the Taliban, Pakistan and China this year. Both Pakistan and China urged the Taliban to take stronger action against militant groups.
