China, Taliban administration stress expanding security and defence cooperation
China’s defence minister has stressed expanding security and defence cooperation with Kabul and increasing exchanges of official delegations on both sides in a meeting with a senior Taliban administration military official.
According to Irav, the meeting was held to discuss security relations and regional developments, and the two sides talked about ways to expand bilateral cooperation and strengthen defence exchanges.
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun described regional stability as important during the meeting and emphasised deepening Beijing’s ties with Kabul. He also said that increasing official contacts and consultations between the two sides was important.
The meeting came as the Taliban administration seeks to expand its security and defence contacts through regional channels. The participation of a Taliban administration defence ministry delegation in the Xiangshan security conference in Beijing is also seen in this context.
In recent years, China has repeatedly underlined its security concerns regarding Afghanistan, especially the issue of armed groups and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. Beijing pursues security engagement with Kabul with regard to the security of its western borders and regional transit routes.
The talks were held at the same time as the growing presence of Chinese companies in some of Afghanistan’s mining and infrastructure projects. China is one of the few countries that has maintained working relations with Kabul at the political and economic levels since the Taliban administration returned to power.
