dpa
Islamabad
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Kabul for an unannounced visit on Thursday, the Taliban government announced.
Wang received a red-carpet welcome in Kabul International Airport by the Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that upon arrival, Wang held talks with his Afghan counterpart Muttaqi on "a number of important issues.” The top Chinese diplomat was holding meetings with other Taliban government leaders in Kabul, he added.
This is Wang’s first visit to Kabul after the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan following the chaotic withdrawal of the US-led international forces last August.
The visit appears aimed at improving economic and political cooperation between the two countries and within the region.
A Chinese corporate copper mine project in Afghanistan has been stalled for years due to past uncertainties and a lack of security.
Mes Aynak Copper Mine in Afghanistan’s Logar province will be the world’s second-largest when it opens.
Taliban officials have repeatedly signalled their readiness to pave the way for foreign investment in Afghanistan’s mines.
China and the Taliban have built a good relationship but no country, including Beijing, has recognized the Taliban government to date.
Islamabad
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Kabul for an unannounced visit on Thursday, the Taliban government announced.
Wang received a red-carpet welcome in Kabul International Airport by the Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that upon arrival, Wang held talks with his Afghan counterpart Muttaqi on "a number of important issues.” The top Chinese diplomat was holding meetings with other Taliban government leaders in Kabul, he added.
This is Wang’s first visit to Kabul after the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan following the chaotic withdrawal of the US-led international forces last August.
The visit appears aimed at improving economic and political cooperation between the two countries and within the region.
A Chinese corporate copper mine project in Afghanistan has been stalled for years due to past uncertainties and a lack of security.
Mes Aynak Copper Mine in Afghanistan’s Logar province will be the world’s second-largest when it opens.
Taliban officials have repeatedly signalled their readiness to pave the way for foreign investment in Afghanistan’s mines.
China and the Taliban have built a good relationship but no country, including Beijing, has recognized the Taliban government to date.