he meeting will possibly begin with the investment of the Chinese into mines in AfghanistanChinese foreign minister Wang Yi last week visited Kabul to meet Taliban-appointed foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi ahead of his meeting with national security advisor Ajit Doval and Union minister S Jaishankar. The meeting, which took many by surprise, was the highest level engagement between China and the Taliban regime following its toppling of a democratically-elected government in Afghanistan.
It is likely that Yi also invited Muttaqi to attend the third meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbours on March 30 and 31 in Tunxi, Anhui. The meeting between Yi and Muttaqi held last Thursday cited the usual official smokescreen that talks were held on political, educational, economic and transit issues concerning China and Afghanistan.
Wang Wenbin, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, while addressing a press conference further added that the ‘Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan Plus Afghanistan’ meeting will focus on ‘understanding the Afghan people’s difficulties and needs, convey neighbouring countries’ concerns on the Afghan issue, and work on the Afghan side to build an open and inclusive political structure’. The meeting will be attended by foreign ministers of Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan or their representatives. Foreign ministers of Indonesia and Qatar were also invited.
TOLONews reported that Muttaqi has left for Beijing and will meet Chinese officials. A Taliban spokesperson told TOLONews that the meeting will focus on persuading Afghanistan’s neighbours to create opportunities – political and economic – for the nation which faces a humanitarian crisis.
Claudia Chia, an analyst at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies, told news agency Financial Times (FT) that China has maintained close ties with the Taliban. A report by the Financial Times (FT) says that since 2021 China has been in talks with the Taliban to gain access to its lithium and copper mines. China is eyeing the rare-earth element deposits across the world, and has also set its sights on Afghanistan’s deposits. “The meeting will possibly begin with the investment of the Chinese into mines in Afghanistan,” Ahmad Munib Rasa, a political analyst, was quoted as saying by TOLONews.
Mes Aynak, south-east of Kabul, one of the world’s biggest copper deposits, according to FT has featured in discussions between both parties. Chinese delegations have also visited Nangarhar and Laghman provinces to research access to other minerals, people familiar with the developments told FT.
Concerns arise for other parties, as China aims to enter another nation, with promises of development to a Taliban regime which is yearning for recognition and acceptance.
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