https://www.scmp.com/rss/510617/feed China has historically taken a back seat in Afghanistan. But with the departure of American forces and the Taliban taking power, Beijing is taking on a greater role to try to ensure the long-term stability of one of its most troubled neighbours. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Fan Chen Fan Chen Beijing has called for de-escalation following the deadliest border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan since 2021, saying it is “deeply concerned” about the hostilities. Analysts suggested the conflict remained manageable but warned that flaring tensions could jeopardise regional stability. “China sincerely hopes that both countries will prioritise the bigger picture, exercise calm and restraint, and resolve their concerns through dialogue and consultation to avoid further conflict,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328997/china-wary-border-spillover-urges-calm-after-deadly-pakistan-afghanistan-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328997/china-wary-border-spillover-urges-calm-after-deadly-pakistan-afghanistan-clashes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 01:00:15 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump’s bid to regain control of the strategic Bagram airbase in Afghanistan has achieved an unlikely feat – bringing India, Pakistan and China onto the same side in opposition. At the 7th Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow on Tuesday, the three Asian powers – often at odds over borders and regional influence – joined countries including Iran and Russia in rejecting Washington’s push to reclaim the base. “They [countries present at the Moscow Format] called... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3328163/trumps-afghan-airbase-gambit-unites-india-pakistan-and-china-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3328163/trumps-afghan-airbase-gambit-unites-india-pakistan-and-china-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 16:48:22 +0000 Shi Jiangtao,Seong Hyeon Choi,Laura Zhou Shi Jiangtao,Seong Hyeon Choi,Laura Zhou US President Donald Trump’s push to retake Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base, framed as a response to China’s nuclear build-up in Xinjiang, risks destabilising an already fragile region and could once again turn the war-torn nation into a flashpoint in the US-China rivalry, observers warn. The historic Soviet-built base is located roughly 70km (43 miles) north of Kabul and less than 800km from Afghanistan’s border with the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in western China. It was America’s largest... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326260/will-trumps-push-afghan-air-base-create-new-flashpoint-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326260/will-trumps-push-afghan-air-base-create-new-flashpoint-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 02:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened Afghanistan with unspecified punishment if the Taleban-controlled country did not “give Bagram Airbase back”. “If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” the 79-year-old leader wrote on his Truth Social platform. The vague threat comes just days after he raised the idea of the United States retaking control of the base while on a state visit to the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326276/trump-says-bad-things-will-happen-if-afghanistan-does-not-return-bagram-airbase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326276/trump-says-bad-things-will-happen-if-afghanistan-does-not-return-bagram-airbase?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 22:46:34 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Robert Delaney Khushboo Razdan,Robert Delaney US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his administration was moving to retake control of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, claiming that such a move was necessary because of the facility’s proximity to nuclear weapons sites in China. Bagram, located 44 kilometres (27 miles) north of Kabul, was the largest US military base in Afghanistan and the central hub of the 20-year US-led campaign until American and Nato forces withdrew in 2021 under former US president Joe Biden. “We’re trying to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326045/trump-says-us-moving-reclaim-key-afghan-air-base-links-it-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326045/trump-says-us-moving-reclaim-key-afghan-air-base-links-it-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:25:40 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao As Washington continues to retreat from its traditional leadership role in the post-war international order, particularly under the “America first” doctrine, Beijing has stepped in with a calculated response to the widening vacuum in global governance, unveiling what observers call a “master plan” for reform. China’s newly unveiled Global Governance Initiative (GGI), launched this month to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, represents its most comprehensive and structured... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325746/us-retreats-can-xi-jinpings-new-initiative-shape-future-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325746/us-retreats-can-xi-jinpings-new-initiative-shape-future-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:00:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Afghanistan’s Taliban administration made an appeal for help on Monday after one of the country’s worst earthquakes killed more than 800 people and injured at least 2,800. The appeal came as rescuers struggled to reach remote areas due to rough mountainous terrain and inclement weather. The disaster will further stretch the resources of the war-torn nation’s Taliban government, already grappling with crises ranging from a sharp drop in foreign aid to deportations of hundreds of thousands of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3323976/taliban-asks-world-help-rescuers-search-rubble-wake-afghanistan-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3323976/taliban-asks-world-help-rescuers-search-rubble-wake-afghanistan-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 22:49:02 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China has called for greater counterterrorism cooperation with Afghanistan, including joint patrols along the narrow strip of land that forms their only shared border. “China supports the prompt resumption of bilateral patrols in the Wakhan Corridor to maintain peace and stability in the border region,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with the Afghan acting minister of interior affairs, Sirajuddin Haqqani. The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of mountainous Afghan territory that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322667/china-calls-joint-patrols-afghan-border-and-urges-taliban-help-fight-terrorism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322667/china-calls-joint-patrols-afghan-border-and-urges-taliban-help-fight-terrorism?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:00:08 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has arrived in Kabul to meet his counterparts from Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is Wang’s first trip to the country since a surprise visit in March 2022. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed he arrived in Afghanistan on Wednesday. The ministry had earlier said he would travel to Pakistan later in the day for a three-day visit that will include talks with Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister. According to Geo News, a Pakistani... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322511/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-kabul-3-way-talks-afghan-pakistan-tensions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322511/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-kabul-3-way-talks-afghan-pakistan-tensions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 09:07:45 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen A China-backed copper mine in Afghanistan is poised to start construction after nearly two decades of delay, but political instability and security issues remain a major concern, an Afghan studies expert has cautioned. State-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) recently announced that it was making significant progress toward starting copper extraction this year in the Mes Aynak Mine in central Afghanistan’s Logar province, home to one of the world’s largest untouched copper... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320858/work-china-backed-afghan-copper-mine-gains-pace-after-17-years-old-fears-linger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320858/work-china-backed-afghan-copper-mine-gains-pace-after-17-years-old-fears-linger?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 01:00:10 +0000 Umair Pervez Khan,Gulshan Rafiq Umair Pervez Khan,Gulshan Rafiq In a quiet but potentially defining moment for South Asia, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China and Bangladesh convened in the Chinese city of Kunming last month. It may have looked like just another diplomatic gathering, but it signalled a strategic shift – one that could recalibrate the balance of regional cooperation and breathe life into the idea of a regional framework post-SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. For decades, SAARC was envisioned as the collective... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3318341/are-china-pakistan-bangladesh-quietly-planting-regions-new-framework?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3318341/are-china-pakistan-bangladesh-quietly-planting-regions-new-framework?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan is set to intensify counterterrorism operations in the mineral-rich province of western Balochistan in the aftermath of Wednesday’s suicide bombing on a school bus – which Islamabad had attributed to Indian spies. The attack in the town of Khuzdar, which claimed the lives of five high-school girls and five soldiers, came amid Chinese diplomatic efforts to cool tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over cross-border Pakistani Taliban and Baloch insurgent attacks staged from Afghanistan. A... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3311548/pakistan-intensifies-balochistan-insurgency-crackdown-after-deadly-school-bus-bombing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3311548/pakistan-intensifies-balochistan-insurgency-crackdown-after-deadly-school-bus-bombing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 May 2025 09:00:16 +0000 The US has lifted bounties on three senior Taliban figures, including the interior minister who also heads a powerful network blamed for bloody attacks against Afghanistan’s former Western-backed government, officials in Kabul said Sunday. Sirajuddin Haqqani, who acknowledged planning a January 2008 attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul, which killed six people, including US citizen Thor David Hesla, no longer appears on the State Department’s Rewards for Justice website. The FBI website on Sunday... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3303529/taliban-celebrates-us-lifts-bounties-senior-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3303529/taliban-celebrates-us-lifts-bounties-senior-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Mar 2025 11:49:27 +0000 The Pakistan-China relationship has historically been central to South Asian geopolitics. Over time, this bond has evolved from a security-centric alliance into a partnership encompassing infrastructure and technology. The two countries align on global forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation while managing geopolitical challenges, particularly Afghanistan’s stability, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) remains the backbone of their economic engagement. Despite deep... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3299191/indo-pacific-realities-mean-pakistan-china-alliance-can-only-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3299191/indo-pacific-realities-mean-pakistan-china-alliance-can-only-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Feb 2025 21:30:08 +0000 China said Thursday it had lodged “solemn representations” with Afghanistan’s Taliban government over the killing of a Chinese mine worker in an attack claimed by Islamic State (Isis). “The Chinese side urgently lodged solemn representations with the Afghan side, demanding that (they) thoroughly investigate and punish the perpetrators,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. “China is deeply shocked by the attack, strongly condemns it and expresses condolences to the victims,” Mao said. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3295871/chinese-mine-worker-killed-isis-claimed-attack-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3295871/chinese-mine-worker-killed-isis-claimed-attack-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2025 17:29:23 +0000 Pakistan has warned the Taliban that it will bomb insurgents who have taken safe haven in Afghanistan in retaliation for any future lethal attacks against its security forces, sparking revenge threats from the neighbour, even as the two sides pursue talks to defuse tensions. Four Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camps in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province were hit by Pakistani warplanes and armed drones on Tuesday night. Islamabad has not directly commented on the strikes but its foreign... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292576/pakistan-warns-taliban-air-strikes-over-future-attacks-afghanistan-vows-revenge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292576/pakistan-warns-taliban-air-strikes-over-future-attacks-afghanistan-vows-revenge?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Dec 2024 10:00:16 +0000 Pressure is mounting on the Taliban to respect the rights of women after Western governments decided to take the group to the International Court of Justice for gender discrimination. The Netherlands, Canada, Germany and Australia announced the move on Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly, marking only the second time a country is sent to the International Court of Justice for violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination of Women (CEDAW). Dutch foreign... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3280488/will-suing-taliban-protect-afghan-women-maybe-chinas-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3280488/will-suing-taliban-protect-afghan-women-maybe-chinas-help?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2024 21:30:07 +0000 Professor Pan Guang has spent decades focused on Jewish studies, the Middle East and ties with China. Among his many roles, Pan is founding director of a research centre on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. What’s your assessment of the situation in the Middle East and the Israel-Gaza war after the assassinations of top Hamas and Hezbollah officials? Many now say that the conflicts in the Middle East will expand. I think there... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3276220/middle-east-best-place-china-and-us-cooperate-observer-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3276220/middle-east-best-place-china-and-us-cooperate-observer-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2024 22:00:10 +0000 After 16 years of delays due to war, a groundbreaking ceremony for what will be the world’s second largest copper mine was held on Wednesday between China and Afghanistan. State-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) started construction on a 25km (15.5 mile) road to the Mes Aynak Copper Mine, one of the largest untouched copper deposits in central Afghanistan’s Logar province. Zhao Xing, China’s ambassador in Kabul, told Taliban officials at the ceremony that road construction was “a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271909/afghan-copper-mine-holds-promise-taliban-tempered-expectations-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3271909/afghan-copper-mine-holds-promise-taliban-tempered-expectations-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2024 13:24:01 +0000 Pakistan is gearing up for a new chapter in its shadow war with Taliban insurgents, vowing a barrage of retaliatory air strikes across the border into Afghanistan. Stung by a surge of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacks in recent months, Pakistan’s defence chief Khawaja Mohammed Asif has put the militant group on notice. “We won’t serve them with cake and pastries. If attacked, we’ll attack back,” he said on Tuesday in a BBC interview, publicly acknowledging for the first time Pakistan’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269315/after-chinas-warning-pakistan-threatens-afghanistan-based-ttp-drone-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269315/after-chinas-warning-pakistan-threatens-afghanistan-based-ttp-drone-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jul 2024 10:00:13 +0000 The world descended on Doha last weekend for a two-day meeting to decide the future of Afghanistan and the Taliban’s role in this future. Delegates from 25 countries attended the United Nations-led summit. The Taliban arrived in Doha confident the international community is starting to take it seriously after retaking power almost three years ago. Leaving Doha, there is now a view in Kabul that official recognition is only a matter of time. The Taliban has good reason to be emboldened. In a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3269122/world-leaders-choosing-closer-taliban-ties-betray-afghan-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3269122/world-leaders-choosing-closer-taliban-ties-betray-afghan-women?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2024 11:30:09 +0000 China is willing to expand and upgrade the country’s economic ties with Pakistan but hopes Islamabad can create a “safe, stable, and predictable” business environment, President Xi Jinping told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday. The trip to Beijing was Sharif’s first visit to China since starting his second term as prime minister in March and comes as the country’s economy continues to struggle with the impact of a debt crisis, inflation and fiscal deficits as well as ongoing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265853/xi-jinping-asks-pakistan-guarantee-safety-chinese-personnel-and-projects-he-pledges-more-economic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265853/xi-jinping-asks-pakistan-guarantee-safety-chinese-personnel-and-projects-he-pledges-more-economic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jun 2024 13:11:08 +0000 Counterterrorism cooperation and the economy are expected to be high on the agenda when Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif makes a five-day trip to China next week. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning confirmed on Friday that Sharif’s trip, which starts on Tuesday, will include talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Sharif will also visit Guangdong province, China’s economic hub, and the northwestern province of Shaanxi. “Under the guidance of the leaders of the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265079/terrorism-and-economy-expected-top-agenda-china-pakistan-talks-security-concerns-cloud-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3265079/terrorism-and-economy-expected-top-agenda-china-pakistan-talks-security-concerns-cloud-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jun 2024 14:00:12 +0000 During the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in Kazakhstan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged member states to increase cooperation against terrorism. Citing terrorist attacks in Russia and Pakistan, China’s top diplomat urged SCO members to intensify efforts in uplifting security and coordination, especially in terms of intelligence sharing and joint operations. Highlighting the existence of various terrorist forces, and given China’s border with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3264427/china-and-south-asia-must-solve-regional-tensions-fight-terrorism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3264427/china-and-south-asia-must-solve-regional-tensions-fight-terrorism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 May 2024 21:30:08 +0000 Pakistani authorities have arrested 11 Islamist militants who were involved in the suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers in March in the north of the country which borders Afghanistan, officials said on Sunday. The announcement was made at a news conference held by Pakistan’s counterterrorism chief Rai Tahir along with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The arrested men belong to local Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is an umbrella group of dozens of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3264184/pakistan-arrests-11-militants-involved-chinese-engineers-killing-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3264184/pakistan-arrests-11-militants-involved-chinese-engineers-killing-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 May 2024 16:37:20 +0000 China has started to lean on Afghanistan’s Taliban regime to prevent cross-border attacks on Chinese personnel and interests in neighbouring Pakistan, according to two well-placed sources in Islamabad. Chinese diplomats in Islamabad and Kabul were forced into action by Pakistan’s failure to prevent a surge in such cross-border terrorist attacks from Afghanistan, as well as from Iran, they said. The Chinese diplomats are “searching for alternative ways” of persuading Afghanistan’s Taliban regime... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263802/china-pressures-afghanistans-taliban-stop-attacks-its-interests-pakistan-dangles-economic-carrot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263802/china-pressures-afghanistans-taliban-stop-attacks-its-interests-pakistan-dangles-economic-carrot?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 May 2024 10:00:27 +0000 Afghanistan is facing another setback. This time, natural disasters are taking lives and destroying communities, leading to accusations that the Taliban is incapable – or unwilling – to solve problems. If the Taliban is serious about governing Afghanistan, it must find help. Heavy rains have caused devastating floods in northern Afghanistan, ripping through towns and villages and sweeping away homes. Baghlan province has been the hardest hit, with the World Food Programme saying over 300 people... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3262999/why-china-should-step-aid-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3262999/why-china-should-step-aid-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 May 2024 08:35:42 +0000 The Taliban has completed its first road link between Afghanistan and China, but analysts expect Beijing to be cautious about giving its war-torn neighbour full access to its land border because of security concerns over terrorists and separatist militants. At this stage, China has no customs facilities in the area – where Afghanistan meets the autonomous Chinese region of Xinjiang – and has said nothing to suggest it intends to add a formal crossing point. Currently, only Chinese border guards... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249931/why-china-wary-opening-afghanistans-new-road-xinjiang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3249931/why-china-wary-opening-afghanistans-new-road-xinjiang?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jan 2024 14:00:09 +0000 As the world sees in a new year, Afghanistan remains a problem and its future uncertain. The country continues to suffer through a humanitarian crisis and the Taliban continues to rule through brutality, severely oppressing women. The world has been unsure how to solve these problems, though a recent vote at the United Nations suggests this might be changing. On December 29, the UN Security Council passed a resolution on the Afghanistan independent assessment, meant to be a blueprint of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247298/world-betraying-afghan-women-legitimising-taliban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247298/world-betraying-afghan-women-legitimising-taliban?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jan 2024 08:30:12 +0000 China is expanding its agricultural trade with Afghanistan, deepening relations with the war-torn country as it attempts a return to normal economic activity, tangles with sanctions from the West and rebuilds after a devastating earthquake in October. The world’s second-largest economy may start importing Afghan pomegranates next month with an initial shipment of 1,000 tonnes via an “agricultural cooperation” deal, a trader at the China International Import Expo told the Post on Monday. Those... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3240649/china-afghanistan-cultivate-deeper-ties-agriculture-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3240649/china-afghanistan-cultivate-deeper-ties-agriculture-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Nov 2023 14:00:14 +0000 The Pakistan-Afghanistan border is witnessing one of the largest forced expulsions of people since the second world war. Pakistan’s decision to deport over a million Afghans threatens to worsen Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis and risks thousands of lives. But China may hold the key to a solution. Pakistan announced on October 3 that all illegal migrants and asylum seekers had 28 days to leave or face deportation. While not directly mentioned, Afghans make up the vast majority of undocumented... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240274/how-china-can-stop-pakistan-worsening-afghanistans-humanitarian-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240274/how-china-can-stop-pakistan-worsening-afghanistans-humanitarian-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:30:16 +0000 The Taliban will attend China’s Belt and Road Forum this week, a spokesman for the Islamic group ruling Afghanistan said. The move underscores Beijing’s growing official ties with the Afghan administration, despite its lack of formal recognition by any government. Taliban officials and ministers have at times travelled to regional meetings, mostly those focused on Afghanistan, but the Belt and Road Forum is among the highest-profile multilateral summits the group has been invited to attend. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3237996/taliban-official-attend-chinas-belt-and-road-forum-beijing-steps-afghan-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3237996/taliban-official-attend-chinas-belt-and-road-forum-beijing-steps-afghan-engagement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Oct 2023 06:11:52 +0000 As one of China’s most troubled neighbours, Afghanistan is clearly on the minds of Beijing officials for good reason. Central government policymakers and diplomats are wise to aim for a balanced approach to the nation and its Taliban leadership that could be the best chance of improving regional security and bilateral relations. China’s balancing act was on display last week when it hosted an international forum on Trans-Himalayan regional cooperation in the Tibet autonomous region. More than a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3237627/china-approach-offers-hope-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3237627/china-approach-offers-hope-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Oct 2023 18:01:48 +0000 Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership has assured Beijing that it has worked to combat terrorism and regards threats to China as seriously as a threat against its own country. Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Thursday that the Taliban will not tolerate terrorist activities targeting China in Afghanistan. Speaking to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Niyingchi, Tibet, Muttaqi said that “we have done a lot of work to combat terrorism and we take security threats against China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236981/terror-threat-china-challenge-our-own-taliban-fm-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236981/terror-threat-china-challenge-our-own-taliban-fm-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Oct 2023 02:07:11 +0000 Afghanistan’s embassy in India suspended operations on Sunday, more than two years after the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul following the collapse of the Western-backed government. Most foreign nations – including India – do not officially recognise Afghanistan’s Taliban government, but acknowledge them as the de facto ruling authority. This has left many Afghan embassies and consulates in limbo, with diplomats appointed by the former government refusing to cede control of embassy buildings... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3236470/afghanistans-embassy-india-suspends-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3236470/afghanistans-embassy-india-suspends-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Oct 2023 22:52:34 +0000 China’s new ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Xing, presented his credentials at a grand ceremony in Kabul on Wednesday, becoming the first foreign envoy to take up their post since the Taliban retook power in August 2021. While the Taliban – which has not been officially recognised by any foreign government – hailed Zhao’s arrival as “the beginning of a new chapter”, the Chinese foreign ministry sought to play down hopes for a formal recognition. The Taliban has yet to be recognised by any... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3234744/china-continues-taliban-balancing-act-after-new-ambassador-arrives-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3234744/china-continues-taliban-balancing-act-after-new-ambassador-arrives-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Sep 2023 22:00:24 +0000 Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban government said it signed seven mining contracts Thursday amounting to US$6.5 billion in investment, in the biggest such round of deals since seizing power two years ago. The seven contracts are with locally based companies, many of which have foreign partners in countries including China, Iran, and Turkey. They include the extraction and processing of iron ore, lead, zinc and gold in four provinces: Herat, Ghor, Logar and Takhar. A statement on the contracts from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3233032/afghanistans-taliban-say-they-have-signed-mining-contracts-worth-us65-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3233032/afghanistans-taliban-say-they-have-signed-mining-contracts-worth-us65-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Sep 2023 02:40:47 +0000 The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021 continues to be seen as a “black mark” on Joe Biden’s presidency – a chaotic and deadly exit that left the war-torn country in a security vacuum as the Taliban swiftly advanced on Kabul. Two years on, Afghans are still struggling under one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with most international aid, including from the United States, suspended following the Taliban takeover. But no major power, not even neighbouring... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231577/why-china-still-sidelines-afghanistan-2-years-after-messy-us-troop-pull-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231577/why-china-still-sidelines-afghanistan-2-years-after-messy-us-troop-pull-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Aug 2023 22:00:11 +0000 Duan Yi, a Chinese gemstone trader who moved to Afghanistan about 18 months ago, has noticed clear changes on the streets of Kabul in recent months. Foreign tourists – mostly from Europe and the United States, and now an increasing number of Chinese – are back to the once deserted capital city. Li Xijing has seen the same trend. As a director of Kabul’s Chinatown, Li has greeted dozens of Chinese businessmen making tentative steps back into the city. Journalists, from Britain to Japan, have also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3230359/signs-chinese-business-life-return-afghanistan-2-years-after-talibans-takeover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3230359/signs-chinese-business-life-return-afghanistan-2-years-after-talibans-takeover?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Aug 2023 22:00:19 +0000 China has announced a new land link with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The 3,125km (1,940 miles) route uses both railways and roads and passes through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as well. One of the main businesses involved in the route said it hopes to normalise express links between the two countries, although analysts have said the main significance is symbolic rather than practical because air and sea links are still more important. The route starts with a railway line between Lanzhou, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3226822/china-announces-land-link-taliban-controlled-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3226822/china-announces-land-link-taliban-controlled-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:59:47 +0000 History is repeating itself in Afghanistan. Decades after the US-led coalition intervened to remove al-Qaeda, and in the process the Taliban, terrorist groups are again flourishing in the country with deadly results. This comes as the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report last week revealing the number of civilians killed in terrorist attacks since the Taliban takeover on August 15, 2021. According to UNAMA, 1,095 civilians were killed, including 287... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226438/talibans-failures-have-left-afghanistan-grip-terrorism-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226438/talibans-failures-have-left-afghanistan-grip-terrorism-again?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jul 2023 19:00:18 +0000 China, Pakistan and Iran have agreed to hold regular anti-terror talks following their first trilateral meeting on regional security issues. The Chinese foreign ministry’s external security affairs director, Bai Tian, met his Pakistani and Iranian counterparts in Beijing on Wednesday to review regional counterterror efforts and discuss joint action “to tackle the cross-border movement of terrorists”, according to a statement from the ministry. Bai also held separate one-on-one meetings with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223448/china-iran-pakistan-agree-hold-regular-anti-terror-talks-concerns-grow-over-cross-border-insurgency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3223448/china-iran-pakistan-agree-hold-regular-anti-terror-talks-concerns-grow-over-cross-border-insurgency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:15:46 +0000 It has been almost two years since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, which saw the United States and its allies leave in chaotic scenes after 20 years of supposed nation-building. Nature abhors a vacuum, and it has been one China is happy to fill. When Kabul fell to the Taliban, it did not go unnoticed in Western circles that China kept its embassy open, promising at the time, according to the Taliban spokesperson, to “beef up” relations with the new regime. Afghanistan offers China... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221776/china-should-tread-carefully-afghanistan-or-risk-becoming-latest-addition-graveyard-empires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221776/china-should-tread-carefully-afghanistan-or-risk-becoming-latest-addition-graveyard-empires?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2023 19:30:13 +0000 The geopolitical wrangling around Afghanistan continued at the recent China-Afghanistan-Pakistan foreign ministers’ dialogue in Islamabad, even as Russia pushes for the formation of a core group in the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan that would include itself, India, Iran, Pakistan and China. Neither is likely to fix Afghanistan or bring answers. Rather, Afghanistan will continue to sit at the centre of the Eurasian heartland, creating headaches for the powers that surround it. The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220083/intractable-taliban-afghanistan-remains-headache-china-russia-and-all-its-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220083/intractable-taliban-afghanistan-remains-headache-china-russia-and-all-its-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 May 2023 19:00:13 +0000 China has called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to help fight terror and protect Chinese interests, as the three neighbours resumed a strategic dialogue mechanism suspended since the Taliban took power in Kabul nearly two years ago. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said the three nations should oppose all forms of terrorist activity or “double-standards” in recognising such acts, as well as strengthen counterterrorism and security cooperation. “[China hopes] that Afghanistan and Pakistan will... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219685/china-calls-pakistan-afghanistan-help-fight-terror-protect-chinese-interests-first-3-way-talks-2021?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219685/china-calls-pakistan-afghanistan-help-fight-terror-protect-chinese-interests-first-3-way-talks-2021?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 May 2023 12:15:18 +0000 The foreign minister of Afghanistan’s Taliban government, which is not recognised by any other nation, held talks on Saturday with his counterparts from Pakistan and China during a rare visit abroad. Amir Khan Mutaqi is barred by international sanctions from leaving Afghanistan but was granted an exemption for a trip to Islamabad just days after the United Nations secretary general again condemned the Taliban government’s curbs on women. China and Pakistan are Afghanistan’s most important... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3219650/afghan-foreign-minister-begins-talks-china-and-pakistan-rare-visit-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3219650/afghan-foreign-minister-begins-talks-china-and-pakistan-rare-visit-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 May 2023 14:34:28 +0000 Pakistan’s president on Friday assured Beijing’s foreign minister that his country will boost security for all Chinese nationals working on multibillion-dollar projects in the cash-strapped South Asian country. China has been demanding more security from Pakistan for its nationals living and working in the Islamic country since 2021, when a suicide bomber killed nine Chinese and four Pakistanis in an attack in Pakistan’s volatile northwest. More recently, a Chinese national working on the Dasu... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3219601/after-attacks-chinese-pakistan-pledges-more-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3219601/after-attacks-chinese-pakistan-pledges-more-security?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 21:00:47 +0000 China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has warned South and Central Asian nations to maintain their distance from the United States by maintaining “strategic autonomy” and lashed out at Washington’s meddling in regional affairs. Qin’s comments during his second visit to India in the space of two months were seen by analysts as a tailored message to other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and particularly his hosts. The SCO foreign ministers’ meeting concluded in Goa on Friday with a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219587/chinese-foreign-minister-qin-gang-urges-neighbours-keep-their-distance-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219587/chinese-foreign-minister-qin-gang-urges-neighbours-keep-their-distance-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 May 2023 14:34:26 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang will visit Pakistan on Friday with efforts to resolve the crisis in Afghanistan high on the agenda. During his two-day stopover, Qin will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and will also join in three-way talks with the Taliban’s interim foreign minister, Amir Khan Mutaqi. Mutaqi, who is the subject of a travel ban under United Nations Security Council sanctions, was granted an exemption to travel to Pakistan for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219411/chinese-foreign-minister-qin-gang-heads-pakistan-afghanistan-talks-high-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219411/chinese-foreign-minister-qin-gang-heads-pakistan-afghanistan-talks-high-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 May 2023 11:50:03 +0000 Within days of each other, China and the US have released documents on the situation in Afghanistan, with Beijing blaming Washington for the humanitarian disaster, and Washington blaming the previous Trump administration for the chaotic exit of US troops. China’s 11-point document, which also calls for international support of Afghanistan’s rebuilding efforts, was released a day ahead of Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s meeting in the Uzbek city of Samarkand with his counterparts from neighbouring... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3216983/while-us-plays-blame-game-china-takes-higher-road-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3216983/while-us-plays-blame-game-china-takes-higher-road-afghanistan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Apr 2023 17:00:12 +0000