Kabul: The Taliban has confirmed its attendance at China’s upcoming Belt and Road Forum, according to a statement from a spokesperson on Saturday, Reuters reported. This move underscores the deepening official relations between the Taliban administration and China, even in the absence of formal recognition by any government.
While Taliban officials and ministers have occasionally participated in regional gatherings, primarily focused on Afghanistan, their participation in the Belt and Road Forum is a notable inclusion in one of the most prominent multilateral summits. The forum, scheduled to take place in Beijing next Tuesday and Wednesday, marks the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s ambitious global infrastructure and energy initiative, often described as the revival of the historic Silk Road to stimulate international trade, Reuters reported.
Haji Nooruddin Azizi, the acting minister for commerce and industry within the Taliban government, is set to journey to Beijing in the coming days. This announcement was conveyed by Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, a spokesperson for the ministry, in a message to Reuters.
China has been in negotiations with the Taliban, initiated during the previous foreign-backed Afghan government, regarding the development of a substantial copper mine in eastern Afghanistan. Azizi is expected to engage in further discussions in Beijing concerning the proposed construction of a road through the Wakhan corridor, a narrow, mountainous region in northern Afghanistan. This road would offer a direct connection to China.
In a collaborative effort, officials from China, the Taliban, and neighboring Pakistan had previously expressed their desire in May to incorporate Afghanistan into the Belt and Road initiative. They also envisioned the extension of the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor into Afghanistan, creating potential economic opportunities for the region.
Comments