Wang Yi holds trilateral talks with Taliban, Pakistan FMs

In a transfer that might rile New Delhi only a day after his conferences in India, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met the Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Kabul to debate trilateral connectivity and constructing financial initiatives as a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Mr. Wang, who met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (August 19, 2025) night, flew to Kabul instantly from Delhi on Wednesday (August 20, 2025) morning for bilateral and trilateral talks, after which to Islamabad, the place he’ll maintain strategic talks with the Pakistani management. The authorities has historically frowned upon any “hyphenation” between India and Pakistan in the course of the journey of visiting dignitaries. This is Mr. Wang’s first go to to Kabul in three years, and his first go to to the area for the reason that India-Pakistan battle in May. The go to additionally follows deepening tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban regime over terrorism and different cross-border points.

The External Affairs Ministry (MEA) declined to touch upon the assembly or Mr. Wang’s journey to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“The sixth assembly of the Foreign Ministers’ dialogue of Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan was held in Kabul,“ a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban’s interim authorities mentioned in Pashto.

Boost cooperation

“In addition to reviewing the choices of earlier conferences, emphasis was positioned on strengthening relations between the three international locations in political, financial, and connectivity sectors in the course of the assembly,” it added, referring to the earlier assembly for Foreign Ministers in Beijing in May this 12 months, the place China and Pakistan formally invited the Taliban to affix the China’s Belt and Road Initiative as an extension of the CPEC undertaking.

India has objected to the BRI and the CPEC particularly, because it runs by way of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), violating India’s considerations over sovereignty and territorial integrity. The trilateral talks had been additionally anticipated to debate the completion of a railway line from Central Asia to Pakistan through Afghanistan

According to the assertion, Mr. Wang welcomed the upgradation of diplomatic illustration between Pakistan and Afghanistan, after Pakistan accepted a Taliban appointee as Ambassador on May 30. Both Pakistan and China have appointed Ambassadors to Kabul as effectively, though they haven’t adopted Russia, the only nation that has recognised the Taliban regime up to now. The trilateral assembly was initially as a result of be held in Pakistan, however needed to be moved because the U.N. Security Council declined permission to Mr. Muttaqi, who’s beneath worldwide sanctions, to journey to Islamabad.

“Mr. Wang acknowledged that China is all in favour of Afghanistan’s formal participation within the Belt & Road Initiative & expressed readiness to increase cooperation with Afghan establishments in mining exploration & extraction, indicating China’s intention to start sensible mining operations this 12 months,” a press release issued after an earlier bilateral assembly between Mr. Wang and Mr. Muttaqi on Wednesday (August 20, 2025), that mentioned that China-Afghanistan bilateral commerce had crossed $1 billion final 12 months.

Mr. Wang will probably be in Islamabad on Thursday (August 21, 2025) and Friday (August 22, 2025) for talks with Mr. Dar for the Sixth Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, and is anticipated to name on different leaders. His go to to the area comes 10 days earlier than Chinese President Xi Jinping will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, the place PM Modi, Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif, and a number of other different leaders, together with Russian President Vladimir Putin, are anticipated to attend. Afghanistan is an SCO Observer state, however its invitation has been suspended for the reason that Taliban took management of Kabul in 2021.