DID Press: China and Pakistan are pursuing a coordinated approach that combines security pressure with economic incentives in an effort to curb militant threats while facilitating the international legitimization of the Taliban, according to regional assessments.
Beijing and Islamabad recently issued a joint statement urging the Taliban to rein in affiliated armed groups, particularly the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. The strategy serves two primary objectives: protecting Pakistani forces and infrastructure as well as Chinese strategic projects, and creating conditions to ease the Taliban’s diplomatic isolation.
A central concern for Beijing is the security of the Belt and Road Initiative, the transcontinental development scheme linking Asia, Europe and Africa. Deadly attacks on Chinese engineers in Pakistan’s border regions, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have posed serious challenges to the initiative.
Within this framework, the strategic China–Pakistan Economic Corridor—the backbone of Sino-Pakistani economic cooperation—has seen investment slowdowns since 2020 due to persistent insecurity. A second phase is now being pursued with an emphasis on smaller, lower-risk projects.
China’s engagement with the Taliban is not limited to security considerations. Beijing has maintained economic ties with Afghanistan in sectors such as energy and mining, while pressing the Taliban to curb support for East Turkestan Islamic Movement militants near China’s borders. The Taliban has partially responded by relocating some of these fighters away from frontier areas.
By contrast, some Western policy circles, particularly in the United States, have argued for tightening sanctions on Taliban-linked entities to prevent the normalization of the group’s international standing. They warn that Afghanistan’s potential integration into Chinese economic corridors could expand the Taliban’s access to capital, infrastructure and diplomatic legitimacy.