Kabul Hosts Trilateral Taliban-China-Pakistan Talks Amid Diplomatic Pressures

DID Press: Kabul is hosting a trilateral meeting between the Taliban, China, and Pakistan amid strained relations with Islamabad and continued U.S. travel restrictions on senior Taliban officials.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad, Deputy Spokesperson for the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, said China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will attend the meeting. Talks will focus on political, economic, and regional cooperation, with Wang Yi holding separate meetings with Taliban leaders.

The meeting follows the cancellation of a planned Taliban foreign minister visit to Islamabad due to U.S. pressure, highlighting the group’s limited freedom in pursuing diplomatic objectives without global approval.

Hosting the talks in Kabul gives the Taliban an opportunity to assert itself as a negotiation partner, particularly amid historically tense relations with Pakistan over border issues, refugees, and security concerns. For Islamabad, the meeting offers a chance to regain influence in Afghanistan, especially as India’s presence grows.

China sees the talks as a platform to strengthen its economic and security role in Afghanistan, amid renewed U.S. regional engagement.

Observers view the meeting as a critical test for the Taliban, which seeks to appear as an independent regional actor while facing ongoing international constraints.                                                                                                                                    By Sayed Reza Mousavi