SENIOR CHINESE DIPLOMAT TO MEET TALIBAN IN QATAR

Mon 25 October 2021:

During his travel to Qatar on Oct. 25-26, China’s Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi will meet with a team of the interim Afghan Taliban government, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

According to foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, addressing during a regular press briefing in Beijing, the two sides will exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan and matters of “common concern.”

“As Afghanistan’s traditional friendly neighbor and partner, China has always advocated dialog and contact to guide the positive development of the situation in Afghanistan,” he said.

The Afghan government collapsed in mid-August as the United States and its allies withdrew troops after 20 years on the ground, allowing the Taliban to seize control in a lightning attack.

A Taliban team had met Wang Yi in Tianjin, China’s northernmost city, a month prior.

Since then, China has promised assistance to the neighboring country while also demanding that the Taliban crack down on the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which Beijing claims is a threat to stability in Xinjiang’s western area.

FILE PHOTO: Members of political delegation from the Afghan Taliban’s movement attend talks involving Afghan representatives in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday (20 October 2021).

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