China's foreign minister to the Taliban: "mutually beneficial cooperation"

Created: 03/25/2022, 16:16

By: Sven Hauberg

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) met with Amir Chan Muttaki, acting foreign minister of the Afghan Taliban interim government, in Kabul on Thursday.

© Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua/dpa

Afghanistan sits on billions of dollars in mineral resources that Beijing wants to exploit.

However, China still refuses to recognize the Taliban regime.

Munich/Kabul – China's* Foreign Minister Wang Yi surprisingly visited Afghanistan*.

Wang met with Taliban government officials in Kabul.

Pictures from Chinese state television showed Wang being greeted with a red carpet by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Chan Muttaki at the city's international airport on Thursday.

Muttaki spoke of the "most important high-level delegation" that the Taliban government had received to date.

After the hasty withdrawal of Western troops last summer*, the Taliban regained power in large parts of Afghanistan.

However, the government of the radical Islamists is not recognized internationally.

Beijing has also so far refused to recognize the Taliban.

However, during his visit, China's foreign minister again assured the government in Kabul that his country wants to develop "normal and friendly relations" with Afghanistan and "mutually beneficial cooperation".

This was announced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday.

Afghanistan: Participation in the New Silk Road

During his visit to Kabul, China's foreign minister welcomed Afghanistan's "active participation" in the multi-billion dollar Chinese infrastructure initiative of the "New Silk Road".

This is what the Afghan side wanted.

The Chinese government is willing to extend an expansion of the China-Pakistan economic corridor to Afghanistan under the initiative, Wang Yi said.

Afghanistan hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields including economy, trade, energy, mining, agriculture, export and advanced training.

The Taliban government has "taken a number of positive initiatives to respond to the concerns of the world community," Wang Yi said, according to his ministry's statement.

China expects the Afghan side to continue to form an "inclusive" government, "better protect the rights and interests of women and children" and "reflect the tolerance and friendliness of Muslims".

Only a few days ago, contrary to their earlier promise, the Taliban had denied girls the opportunity to attend secondary schools*.

This is met with sharp criticism internationally.

China and the Taliban: Islamist terrorism is Beijing's main concern

According to Chinese sources, during talks with Wang, Taliban Deputy Chief Abdul Ghani Baradar pledged not to allow terrorist forces to act from Afghan soil against neighbors like China.

This has always been Beijing's key demand of the Taliban since the start of contacts in 2021.

Following the withdrawal of US troops and its allies from Afghanistan, China feared "various terrorist organizations could seize the opportunity for a comeback," China's deputy ambassador to the UN Geng Shuang said last year*.

Beijing is primarily targeting the Uyghur movement ETIM, which was also on the US terror list at times.

China and Afghanistan share only a short border that is difficult to access.

Nevertheless, according to international experts, the government in Beijing fears that terrorists, for example ETIM, could penetrate Chinese territory and, above all, destabilize the Xinjiang* region.

China also fears attacks on its projects along the "New Silk Road", for example in Pakistan.

There had already been isolated attacks there in the past year*.

Afghanistan: Mineral resources worth billions arouse China's interest

But Afghanistan also harbors opportunities, especially underground.

US estimates from 2010 showed that the country has mineral resources worth the equivalent of around 850 billion euros.

Most of it has remained untouched in recent years and has increased significantly in value.

According to analysts, China is primarily interested in copper mines and oil fields in Afghanistan.

Their exploitation could now be accelerated after the withdrawal of western troops.

A Chinese company's project for the Mes Ajnak copper mine* had been stalled for years due to past uncertainties and a lack of safety and could now gain new momentum.

Mes Anjak in Logar Province south of Kabul would be the second largest copper mine in the world.

A Taliban spokesman had already called China a "welcome friend" last July: "We welcome you," Suhail Shaheen said in an interview, referring to Beijing.

“Of course, if they have investments, we ensure their security.

Your security is very important to us.” At a meeting last year in Tianjin, China, the Taliban diplomat Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar asked China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi* “a greater role in Afghanistan's reconstruction and economic development”.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is currently on a multi-day trip abroad.

On Friday he had talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi*.

Both countries have been arguing about the course of the common border for decades;

Two years ago, the situation in a remote Himalayan region escalated, resulting in several deaths.

*