Afghanistan Times Latest News and Analysis from Afghanistan and the Region
Related Articles
KABUL — China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Kabul on Wednesday for his second visit since 2022, signaling Beijing’s growing engagement with Afghanistan as it navigates regional power dynamics. Wang held bilateral talks with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi ahead of a trilateral summit with Pakistan’s top diplomat Ishaq Dar — the first such multilateral meeting hosted in Kabul since the Taliban’s return to power.
Both sides hailed “progressing” ties, with Muttaqi pushing for deeper economic cooperation in banking, transportation, and trade. He reaffirmed Kabul’s pledge that Afghan territory would not be used against neighbors — a key concern for Beijing and Islamabad.
Wang expressed China’s readiness to expand Afghanistan’s exports and integrate the country more closely into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), including possible extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor into Afghan territory. The talks come as Afghanistan, internationally isolated and recognized only by Russia, seeks to break its diplomatic deadlock and attract investment.
The trilateral summit is expected to tackle sensitive political, economic, and security issues — from trade corridors to counterterrorism — underscoring China’s ambition to anchor Afghanistan within its regional vision, despite Western disengagement.
