China Says Taliban and Pakistan Satisfied with Urumqi Dialogue Process
China’s special envoy for Afghanistan stated that Taliban officials and the Pakistani government have given a “positive” assessment of the Urumqi dialogue process and expressed readiness for joint cooperation in peace, security, and development. He emphasized that the next phase of these talks must lead to practical results.
You Xiaoyong, China’s special representative, wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page on Wednesday that he recently traveled to Afghanistan and met with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban administration’s foreign minister, along with other officials. According to him, both sides discussed the continuation of the Urumqi dialogue during these meetings.
The Urumqi process refers to talks mediated by China between representatives of the Taliban administration and Pakistan, aiming to reduce border tensions and security concerns between the two sides. These meetings were held from April 1 to April 7 (12 to 18 Haml in the Afghan calendar) of this year in the city of Urumqi, China.
Despite emphasizing a “positive” atmosphere, this round of negotiations, like previous ones in Doha, Istanbul, and Riyadh, ended without any tangible results; a development that once again raises questions about the Taliban administration’s commitment to addressing regional security concerns.
Pakistan demands that the Taliban administration sever ties with Pakistani militant groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, the Taliban administration has so far refused to officially accept this demand; experts believe this stems from ethnic, ideological ties and a history of cooperation between the two sides during the twenty years of war with the United States and the former Afghan government.
China’s special envoy stressed that the next round of talks should yield “practical” achievements; a requirement that, if unmet, could pose new challenges to Beijing’s mediation efforts.
