China establishes its 1st diplomatic contact with new Afghan regime

Talks held between deputy head of Taliban’s political office and Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan

BEIJING: China has established its first diplomatic contact with the Taliban in Kabul after the militant group took control of Afghanistan and the two sides now have “effective communication”, a Chinese official said on Wednesday.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war.

Beijing has “open and effective communication and consultation with the Afghan Taliban”, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said regarding the talks between the deputy head of the Taliban’s political office Abdul Salam Hanafi and Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu in Kabul.

Kabul is an important platform and channel for Beijing to discuss key issues, Wang explained, without disclosing the details of the meeting. “China respects the Afghan people’s independent decision on their own future and destiny, supports the implementation of the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned principle, and stands ready to continue to develop good-neighbourly relations of friendship and cooperation with Afghanistan and play a constructive role in the peace and reconstruction of the country.”

He also said, “We have always respected Afghanistan’s sovereign independence and territorial integrity, pursued a policy of non-interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and adhered to a policy of friendship towards the entire Afghan people.”

China along with Pakistan and Russia kept its embassy open in Kabul while India, the US and other countries closed down their diplomatic missions after the Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15.

Earlier in the day, Russian news agency Sputnik quoted Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem as tweeting, “They discussed the security of the Chinese embassy and diplomats, the current situation in Afghanistan, bilateral relations, and China’s humanitarian assistance.”

Senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi, member of the political bureau of the Communist Party of China’s central committee, stressed on the political settlement of the Afghan crisis.

Attending a BRICS meeting of NSAs on Tuesday via video link, Yang said, “The international community should respect the will of the Afghan people and encourage Afghanistan to build a political structure that suits its national conditions.”