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China-Afghanistan relations
ChinaDiplomacy

China warns of cross-border terror leaks from Afghanistan

  • Foreign Minister Wang Yi convenes meeting with his counterparts from the war-torn country’s neighbours
  • Meanwhile in Europe, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discusses response to Taliban government with 20 countries

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China has convened a meeting of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries to discuss a joint response to the Taliban’s return to power. Photo: AP
Catherine Wong
China and the US are working on separate plans for how to deal with Afghanistan’s new interim government, with Beijing warning that terrorist groups were already crossing the borders into neighbouring countries.
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While US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Germany for a ministerial meeting on Afghanistan with Washington’s Western allies, Beijing convened a discussion among the war-torn country’s neighbours – Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan – on Wednesday, a day after the Taliban named its caretaker cabinet in Kabul.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterparts that China would donate 200 million yuan (US$31 million) in aid to Afghanistan, including food and an initial batch of 3 million doses of coronavirus vaccines.

02:09

Taliban announces new Afghanistan government, giving top roles to hardliners and no women

Taliban announces new Afghanistan government, giving top roles to hardliners and no women

Wang again called on the Taliban to cut its ties with all terrorist groups and said China would work with countries in the region to trace and crack down on terrorist groups which “have scattered and infiltrated into Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries”.

“Some international terror forces based in Afghanistan are planning to sneak to neighbouring countries,” Wang said. “We demand the Taliban completely cut ties with all extremist forces and take forceful combative measures. All parties need to step up the sharing of intelligence and border control efforts, making immediate arrests of terror groups coming from Afghanistan to ensure regional stability.”

Wang said China would work with countries in the region to help Afghanistan rebuild its economy and society, as well as fight terrorist groups and the illegal drug trade. The foreign ministers also agreed to institutionalise their future meetings, he said.

Wang also said China’s border crossing with Afghanistan should remain open to ensure delivery of goods. He added that China would consider reopening cargo train lines between the two countries and called on the US to help refugees from Afghanistan.

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