The 5th China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue was held on May 6 in Islamabad, Pakistan, where the three countries stressed the critical importance of trilateral cooperation in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. The Foreign Ministers emphasized the need to deepen and expand cooperation in security, development, and political domains, based on the principles of mutual respect, equal-footed consultation, and mutual benefit. In a joint declaration signed by all parties, they affirmed their commitment to tackling security challenges posing a serious threat to regional and global security and directly impacting the stability and economic prosperity of the entire region.
A significant development was a declaration signed by all-three parties underscoring cooperation in various areas – this also included affirmation from IEA on not allowing Afghan soil to be used by any terrorist elements against any country. China has welcomed this willingness and intent from the IEA and believes it is significant to counter-terrorism in the region.
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) China, recently held a media briefing on the trilateral dialogue and its outcome (statement):
Journalist: This is the first international document that has the participation of the Afghan interim government since its establishment. In this document, the three sides noted explicitly that terrorism is not allowed, naming specifically the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). Do you think the pledge of the Afghan side to fight terrorist groups in the country, especially the ETIM, will help it receive recognition from the world?
Wang Wenbin: Yesterday we shared the outcomes of the fifth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue. I would like to take this opportunity to share more on the Dialogue.
The fifth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue successfully held a few days ago is the first formal dialogue among the three countries’ foreign ministers since the major change in the situation in Afghanistan in August 2021. It has played a leading role in continuing the good neighborliness, friendship, and practical cooperation among the three parties, contributing to the political settlement of the Afghan issue and encouraging international efforts to stabilize the situation and provide help to Afghanistan under the new situation. Thanks to the vigorous efforts of China, a joint statement was issued at the Dialogue, laying out common understandings and charting the course for deeper cooperation between the three countries in political, development, and security domains.
As you said, the joint statement is the first multilateral document that has the participation of the Afghan interim government, and also the first time that the Afghan Taliban made a written pledge not to allow the ETIM and other forces to conduct terrorist actions and activities. This is of great significance to the future development of China-Afghanistan relations and counter-terrorism and security cooperation in the region.
As a traditionally friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China always believes that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community, the interests and well-being of the Afghan people should be given attention, the peaceful reconstruction of the country should be encouraged, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan should be respected. In the meanwhile, we also noted that there are quite some concerns and expectations about the Afghan interim government from the rest of the world. Specifically, it is hoped that the Afghan side will make more progress in adopting moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies and protecting the rights and interests of women and children. It is also hoped that the Afghan side will take a firmer attitude toward countering terrorism and strive for more tangible outcomes in this regard. We hope the Afghan interim government will take concrete steps in the right direction to win the understanding and trust of the international community. This will create favorable conditions for Afghanistan to further develop its good-neighborly and friendly relations with its neighbors and better integrate into the international community.
(Xinhua News Agency)
The Chinese spokesperson’s statement suggests that China sees the 5th China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue and the joint statement as a positive step towards improving regional stability and cooperation, particularly in the area of counter-terrorism and regional stability. China appears to be looking towards a future where Afghanistan is integrated into the international community, adopting moderate and prudent policies, and working closely with its neighbors to promote peace and prosperity in the region.
