China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have reaffirmed their commitment to expand cooperation in trade, connectivity, and security as part of efforts to strengthen regional peace and development. The pledge came on Wednesday during the sixth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue, held in Kabul.
The talks brought together Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. First launched in 2017 and revived in 2022, the trilateral mechanism provides a platform for the three neighbors to coordinate policies. An informal ministerial meeting in Beijing earlier this year had already helped sustain momentum for dialogue.
Foreign Minister Wang underscored Beijing’s readiness to work with both Kabul and Islamabad to “strengthen exchanges at all levels and consolidate strategic trust.” He emphasized the need to expand trade and investment, improve connectivity, foster people-to-people ties, and jointly combat cross-border terrorism. Wang also urged the three countries to resist external interference and to prevent their territories from being used against each other’s sovereignty and security.
China, he added, would continue to advocate for Afghanistan at multilateral forums, encourage constructive international engagement, and support Kabul in normalizing its international relations.
Afghanistan’s Amir Khan Muttaqi welcomed China’s leadership in driving trilateral cooperation and said Kabul was eager to deepen ties for greater progress. Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar highlighted opportunities in trade, connectivity, counterterrorism, and Belt and Road cooperation, while also calling for the release of Afghanistan’s frozen overseas assets.
The meeting marked Wang Yi’s second visit to Afghanistan since the 2021 U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power, following his earlier trip in March 2022. Analysts noted that these visits underline Beijing’s determination to maintain traditional friendship with Afghanistan and strengthen regional ties.
According to Liu Zongyi, director of the Center for South Asian Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, China and Pakistan have played leading roles in supporting Afghanistan’s stability, reconstruction, and international engagement. While Western nations have imposed sanctions and frozen Afghan assets, Beijing has consistently argued that Afghanistan should not be isolated and has urged greater dialogue to support its rebuilding.
Earlier in the day, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang also met Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who praised China as a “force for justice” and reiterated that Afghan territory would not be used against Beijing. Wang in return pledged that China would continue to promote fairness, oppose unilateral bullying, and expand practical cooperation. He also reiterated China’s concerns about the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and pressed Kabul to intensify efforts against the UN-designated terrorist group.
Despite changing political realities, relations between China and Afghanistan have remained stable, with both sides keeping diplomatic missions active in each other’s capitals. Liu noted that compared to countries “obsessed with geopolitical competition,” China has pursued a consistent policy of noninterference, presenting itself as a reliable partner in Afghanistan’s postwar future.
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