Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (left) attends the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue together with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (center) and acting Foreign Minister of the Afghan interim government Amir Khan Muttaqi in Islamabad, Pakistan, May 6, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
Trilateral talks on Afghanistan can pave way for ending the ongoing humanitarian crisis and facilitating reconstruction of the war-torn country, experts said following the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in Islamabad on May 6.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Acting Foreign Minister of the Afghan interim government Amir Khan Muttaqi in the Pakistani capital.
Following the meeting, Qin said that as traditional friendly neighbors, China is ready to make joint efforts with Afghanistan and Pakistan to implement the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative.
China is willing to share development opportunities and meet security challenges with the two countries to set an example of neighborly cooperation, mini-multilateralism and solving hotspot issues through bilateral and trilateral mechanisms, Qin said.
Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director at the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future, said China has been playing a greater role in the region, especially after the US-led NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan when there was apprehension that Afghanistan would further destabilize
At the meeting, the three countries agreed to advance cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative, support the extension of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), promote connectivity among the three neighbors and within the region, and improve cross-border trade, with a view to enhancing trilateral economic integration and achieving sustainable development.
Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, executive director at the Center for South Asia and International Studies (CSAIS) in Islamabad, said, “Obviously, the Chinese wisdom has once again successfully prevailed in the most recently concluded China-Afghanistan-Pakistan foreign ministers’ dialogue.”
During the meeting Qin emphasized deepening anti-terrorism cooperation and enhancing economic collaboration to achieve the desired goals of regional stability and development, Khan noted. “This message … was loud and clear that terrorism had no place, space and scope in the region,” Khan said.
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Former Pakistani ambassador to China Salman Bashir stressed the importance of the trilateral process, noting the Islamabad meeting was useful for taking stock of the situation. “We welcome the affirmations of support for Afghanistan by China,” Bashir said.
“Pakistan attaches special importance to extending China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, connectivity to Afghanistan, and the CPEC Plus vision is in line with the Belt and Road Initiative,” Bashir said.
Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director at the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future, said China has been playing a greater role in the region, especially after the US-led NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan when there was apprehension that Afghanistan would further destabilize.
“However, China along with the other regional countries took ownership of the situation and made sure that the people of Afghanistan did not suffer,” he said. “The trilateral platform is part of many initiatives which China has undertaken to initiate dialogue with Afghan partners. Both China and Pakistan are at the forefront of helping war-torn Afghanistan.”
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with Amir Khan Muttaqi (left), acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 6, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
At the talks, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan also made it clear they oppose interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs, illegal unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan, and all acts that undermine regional peace and stability.
Qin said that China is ready to help Afghanistan realize self-reliance, peace, stability, development and prosperity at an early date. No matter how the international situation evolves, China will always stand firmly with the Afghan people and support Afghanistan in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions, Qin said.
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Former Pakistani ambassador to China Salman Bashir stressed the importance of the trilateral process, noting the Islamabad meeting was useful for taking stock of the situation. “We welcome the affirmations of support for Afghanistan by China,” Bashir said
Muttaqi said Afghanistan hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in such fields as economy, trade, people-to-people exchanges and infrastructure within the framework of the BRI to safeguard common interests and mutual benefit.
He said Afghanistan hopes to live in harmony with China, Pakistan and other neighboring countries and is willing to actively promote trilateral cooperation with China and Pakistan to promote regional stability and prosperity.
“The meeting in Islamabad has vividly reflected that regional countries and international power brokers should refrain from the domestic affairs of Afghanistan,” said Khan from the CSAIS.
The expert also said that Qin coming directly from India after attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Foreign Ministers’ Summit showcases the true spirit of Pakistan-China bilateral relations, sustainable development of the CPEC, the high level of mutual trust and joint cooperation in combating the menace of terrorism.
“It also reflects the true colors of the Chinese wisdom to promote Afghanistan’s self-reliance, peace, stability, development and prosperity,” Khan said.
During the meeting, the three sides pledged to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation. China and Pakistan expressed their support for the Afghan interim government to strengthen capacity building to better cope with the threat of terrorism.
Qin noted that China will continue to advance the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral dialogue and cooperation based on the principles of equal consultation, pragmatic cooperation and friendship, and mutual benefit.
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“Qin rightly noted that China hopes Afghanistan and Pakistan will jointly further strengthen security measures for Chinese personnel, institutions and projects, which would be mutually befitting propositions for all the regional countries in the days to come,” said Khan of the CSAIS.
vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com
Xinhua contributed to this story.