Monitor News Desk
The new world order is fast taking shape. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi landed in Kabul on an unannounced visit, setting tounges wagging across the US and West
Director-General of the Afghan state-run Bakhtar News Agency, Abdul Wahid Rayan, confirmed the arrival of the Chinese foreign minister in Afghanistan’s capital.
It was the first visit by a senior Chinese leader after the Taliban took control of Kabul in August and comes right after Yi completed his three-day visit to Pakistan where he attended the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s foreign minister’s conference, which ended yesterday, in Islamabad as a special guest.
Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi received Yi on arrival in Kabul along with a high-level delegation. The two sides will hold talks on important issues, focusing on China’s role in stability and development, the state news agency said.
FM Yi last visited Kabul in June 2017 after a huge truck bomb killed and injured many. He had tried to ease tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan after exchanges of fire in May 2017 had made relations tenuous.
The Chinese foreign minister’s visit might give a diplomatic boost to the Taliban government, which is yet to be recognized by any country.
China has been involved in the Afghan peace process after the US withdrew most of its troops in 2014. Taliban political representatives have paid several visits to China over the past few years.
China will be hosting a two-day conference of Afghanistan’s six neighboring countries in Beijing from March 30 to 31. Pakistan and Iran had earlier hosted similar meetings of the neighboring countries after the Taliban takeover.
