During a two-day visit to Qatar, China’s Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi is meeting with a team from the temporary Taliban-led Afghan government, the Chinese foreign ministry stated on Monday.
Between October 25 and 26, the two sides will examine the present situation in Afghanistan and areas of “common concern,” according to Beijing’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.
“As Afghanistan’s neighbor and partner, China advocates dialogue and contact to guide the positive development of the situation in Afghanistan,” the foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular news briefing in Beijing.
China’s foreign minister met with the Taliban in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin in July, weeks before the Taliban took control of Kabul. China stated at the discussion that it expects the Taliban to play a significant role in the Afghan peace process as well as the country’s reconstruction.
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the co-founder of the Taliban and acting deputy prime minister, was part of a team that met with the Chinese official before.
Given that China shares a border with Afghanistan, the meetings took place amid increased security concerns.
Following the Taliban’s announcement of the new temporary administration, China donated $31 million in emergency supplies to Afghanistan, including Covid-19 vaccinations. In addition, the Taliban announced China to be their “main partner” in reconstructing Afghanistan.
