China Seeks Stronger Ties With Islamic Emirate
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has outlined details of the nine-day visit of its Special Representative for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, in a statement.
According to the statement, Yue Xiaoyong engaged in deep discussions about China’s relations with the caretaker government and practical cooperation in various fields during his visit to Afghanistan.
The statement reads: “During his visit to Afghanistan, Special Envoy Yue had in-depth exchanges with senior officials of the Afghan Interim Government on China-Afghanistan relations and practical cooperation in various fields.”
“China aims to strengthen its strategic political and economic ties with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” said Sadiq Shinwari, a political and military affairs expert.
During his trip, Yue Xiaoyong also visited Turkmenistan and Pakistan, where he met with foreign ministry officials from both countries and discussed Afghanistan-related issues.
The question now is how effective China’s efforts will be in addressing Afghanistan’s current crisis.
“China is one of the five countries with veto power in the United Nations and has maintained very good relations with Afghanistan’s current government over the past three and a half years. I hope these relations will revolve around safeguarding the national interests of both sides,” said Mohammad Zalmay Afghanyar, a political affairs expert.
China and Russia are among the countries close to Afghanistan’s caretaker government and have repeatedly emphasized their support for Afghanistan in achieving peace and stability.
