China steps up engagement with Afghan Taliban leaders in Qatar meeting

Wang Yi pledges aid, calls for end to US sanctions during discussions with interim government’s deputy prime minister
The two men last met in July when Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar travelled to northern China before the takeover of Kabul

Afghanistan

Catherine Wong

Published: 5:13pm, 26 Oct 2021

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China’s foreign minister Wang Yi has again urged the US to ease sanctions against the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to help the country overcome a looming humanitarian crisis. He was speaking during the first high-level meeting with the Afghan interim government in Qatar on Monday.

It was Wang’s first meeting with acting deputy prime minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar since July, when the Taliban leader visited Tianjin in northern China shortly before the takeover of Kabul. Wang, who is also a State Councillor, was also expected to meet the interim government’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during his two-day stay in Doha.

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The Islamist insurgent group’s return to power in August prompted the US to freeze most of the country’s financial reserves held there. Many countries remain reluctant to legitimise the Taliban rulers and multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund have halted Afghanistan’s access to developmental funding.

“Meanwhile, Afghanistan is facing quadruple challenges, namely the humanitarian crisis, economic chaos, terrorist threats and governance difficulties. Overcoming these challenges requires more understanding and support from the international community,” Wang said.

“China urges the Western countries led by the United States as a whole to lift sanctions, and calls on all parties to engage with the Afghan Taliban in a rational and pragmatic manner to help Afghanistan embark on a path of sound development.”

Wang also pledged that China would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Beijing announced last month that it would donate 200 million yuan (US$31.3 million) in aid, including food and coronavirus vaccines, to the war-torn nation.

The US earlier this month took the first step towards directly engaging with the Taliban, in a meeting which ended with officials from both sides saying sticking points remained, including the reining in of extremist groups and the evacuation of foreign citizens and Afghans.

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The US and other countries have continued to call on the Taliban to form an inclusive government but they have also expressed concerns at the potential return of the oppressive policies that marked the group’s previous reign during 1996 and 2001. Some of the Taliban’s top Cabinet picks have been blacklisted by the US and the UN.

China is one of the countries which has maintained contact with the Taliban since the militant outfit unseated the US-backed government in August and declared the establishment of a new regime in Afghanistan, following the withdrawal of US troops.

During the Monday meeting, Wang again called on the Taliban to cut ties with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) the separatist group Beijing holds responsible for attacks in its northern region of Xinjiang.

“China hopes and believes that the Afghan Taliban will make a clean break with ETIM and other terrorist organisations, and take effective measures to resolutely crack down on them,” he said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Envoy strengthens Afghan Taliban ties amid crisis