China urges Taliban to tighten security after suicide attack on restaurant in Kabul

China has condemned Monday’s suicide attack on a Chinese restaurant in Kabul, urging the Taliban to take further measures to protect the safety of its citizens in Afghanistan. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing had made “urgent representations” following the attack in a heavily guarded part of the capital that killed at least seven people – one Chinese national and six Afghans – and injured several others. Guo added that China had asked the authorities to “further adopt effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and the security of Chinese projects and institutions in Afghanistan, ascertain the truth as soon as possible, and bring the perpetrators to justice”. He added that China “supports Afghanistan and regional countries in jointly combating all forms of terrorist and violent activities”. The Taliban said it was investigating the attack. Islamic State Khorasan (Isis-K), the local branch of the militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement published by Amaq, an Isis-linked news agency. “The Islamic State in Afghanistan has placed Chinese nationals on its list of targets, especially in light of the escalating crimes committed by the Chinese government against the oppressed Uygur Muslims,” it said. The statement added that the suicide bomber had triggered the explosion among a group of Chinese citizens and their Afghan security detail. It said 25 people were killed or wounded, including Taliban guards. The details could not be independently verified. Hours after the attack, the Chinese foreign ministry issued a travel warning, telling its citizens to avoid going to Afghanistan “for the time being” due to the “complex and severe” security situation in the country. It also urged Chinese citizens and companies in Afghanistan to stay vigilant and enhance their awareness of security risks. Monday’s attack once again exposed the vulnerability of the Taliban’s governance in Afghanistan, said Zhu Yongbiao, a professor from the Centre for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University. “Objectively speaking, the security situation in Afghanistan has significantly improved over the past years, largely because the Taliban’s role has shifted. However, threats from other sources have not diminished,” Zhu said. Despite some ideological similarities, Isis-K is often seen as a rival to the Taliban and has been engaged in a power struggle since the latter toppled the US-backed government in 2021 after two decades of insurgency. Isis-K has often targeted foreign nationals, diplomatic sites and crowded civilian areas and has also criticised China’s policies in Xinjiang, accusing Beijing of oppressing local Muslims, most of whom are Uygurs. China denies the claims, saying its priority is to combat extremism and terrorism. In July, Al-Tazkirah, a pro-Isis media organisation, published an online recruitment message calling for Uygurs to join the militant group and destroy what it called China’s “empire of tyranny”. Since returning to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban has been courting Chinese investment to shore up the battered economy. “Even though the Taliban has tried hard to protect Chinese nationals, there is a capacity gap that would lead to bigger dangers,” Zhu said. Beijing has long been worried that militant groups could cross over the Afghan border to enter Xinjiang, and senior officials have repeatedly urged the Taliban and other governments in the region to step up their counterterrorism efforts. Zhu said Beijing would continue to engage with the Taliban as part of its long-term strategy to stabilise the region. “On the other hand, there may still be a need to fine-tune the policies regarding the safety of personnel in Afghanistan, and to better guide and regulate Chinese investment and those doing business in Afghanistan,” he added. China has not officially recognised the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government, and so far only Russia has done so. However, Beijing has accredited a Taliban-nominated diplomat as Afghanistan’s ambassador and has hosted Taliban officials on visits to China. According to Zhu, there are large numbers of Chinese workers, including illegal immigrants, on both sides of the border between Afghanistan and Tajikistan. There have been a series of clashes between Afghan-based militant groups and the Tajik security forces, and five Chinese citizens were killed in two separate incidents after being caught up in the fighting in November. Since then, the Chinese embassies in both countries have issued a series of warnings urging their citizens to leave the border region immediately.

China urges Taliban to tighten security after suicide attack on restaurant in Kabul

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Militant group Isis-K claimed responsibility for the attack in the Afghan capital, says it has placed Chinese nationals on its target list

Militant group Isis-K claimed responsibility for the attack in the Afghan capital, says it has placed Chinese nationals on its target list