KABUL: Nine members of the Taliban delegation were on a two-day visit to China where they met with foreign ministers for talks about the peace process and security issues, said the group on Wednesday.
“Politics, economics, and problems related to the security of the two countries and current situations of Afghanistan and the peace process are discussed at the meeting,” Taliban spokesman Mohammed Naeem tweeted.
Naeem added that the group, led by Taliban negotiators and deputy leader Mullah Baradar Akhund, also met with Chinese special envoys for Afghanistan and the trip occurred after an invitation from the Chinese authority.
A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Chinese senior Diplomat Wang Yi met with Taliban representatives in the city of Tianjin in North China.
This visit is likely to further strengthen the recognition of the rebel group in an international stage at sensitive time even when violence increases in Afghanistan. Militants have a political office in Qatar where peace talks and this month sent representatives to Iran where they held a meeting with the Afghan government delegation.
Security in Afghanistan, with which China shares the border, has deteriorated quickly because the United States attracts its troops in September. Taliban has launched a busy attack, taking border districts and crossings throughout the country while peace negotiations in the Qatar capital have not made substantive progress.
“(The) delegation convinced China that they would not let anyone use Afghan land against China,” said Naeem. “China also reaffirmed its commitment from the continuation of their assistance with Afghanistan and said they would not interfere in Afghanistan problems but would help resolve the problem and recovery of peace in the country.”
