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Why China wants Taliban regime in Afghanistan to thrive
- China needs neighbouring Afghanistan to remain relatively stable, and sees the Taliban as providing that option, observer says
- Invites to China-led forums such as the belt and road summit seen as ‘low-cost way to signal support’
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All eyes were on high-profile guest Russian President Vladimir Putin when China recently hosted the belt and road forum. However, away from the spotlight, there were others present – rarely seen on the diplomatic stage but vital to Chinese geopolitical and regional interests.
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One such was Haji Nooruddin Azizi, acting commerce minister of the Taliban, the militant group running Afghanistan and yet to be recognised as a legitimate government by the international community.
Azizi led a delegation to last week’s forum, the highest-profile summit the Taliban administration had been invited to since taking power in Kabul more than two years ago.
Analysts read the invite as a signal of support for the regime, as Beijing seeks to strengthen ties with Afghanistan after the US military exit from Kabul in 2021.
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China, they suggest, has “vested interests” in engaging with the Taliban and raising its profile on the world stage, including a desire to portray itself as a responsible and inclusive world power.
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