Chinese, Afghan, Pakistani foreign ministers convene in Kabul, vowing to deepen cooperation and combat terrorism
Global Times
By Chen Qingqing Published: Aug 21, 2025 09:41 AM
Top diplomats from China, Afghanistan and Pakistan attended the sixth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue in in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the three parties should improve the security dialogue mechanism, deepen law enforcement and security cooperation and step up efforts to combat cross-border terrorist activities.
On the basis of consensus, they must address both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism to eliminate its breeding ground, Wang said.
Wang, along with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar, attended the dialogue, according to a readout released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
China is willing to deepen good-neighborly trust with Afghanistan and Pakistan, to understand and support each other on issues involving their respective core interests, resolutely oppose any external interference in the region and firmly reject any organization or individual engaging in activities within their own countries that harm the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the others, Wang said.
The three parties should further enhance exchanges at all levels and continuously consolidate strategic mutual trust. China supports Afghanistan and Pakistan in improving bilateral relations, deepening the integration of interests, properly handling differences through dialogue and consultation, and promoting steady and long-term trilateral cooperation, Wang said.
Some Chinese experts hailed this trilateral foreign ministers' meeting was both a routine arrangement and of special significance.
On the one hand, the trilateral dialogue has been in operation for many years; on the other hand, this was the first meeting of the mechanism held in Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power, Zhu Yongbiao, the executive director of the Research Center for the Belt and Road at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
It also took place on the eve of the SCO Tianjin Summit, at a time when relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have recently shown signs of improvement — a process in which China has played an active role in promoting reconciliation between the two sides.
"Therefore, this meeting is both a continuation and a new starting point," Zhu said.
During the trilateral meeting, Wang also pointed out that China and Pakistan are at the forefront of the international community and regional neighbors in helping Afghanistan stabilize, rebuild and expand its external engagement. China will continue to uphold fairness for Afghanistan in multilateral forums, encourage constructive engagement with Afghanistan by the international community, and support Afghanistan in advancing the normalization of its foreign relations.
The Chinese top diplomat also noted that the three parties should expand development cooperation, increase trade and investment exchanges, strengthen connectivity networks and enhance people-to-people ties.
By adhering to the principle of indivisible security, the three countries should pay due attention to each other's legitimate security concerns and embark on a path of cooperative and shared security, Wang said.
Muttaqi and Dar highly commended the positive progress achieved through the trilateral foreign ministers' dialogue mechanism and expressed appreciation for China's contribution to promoting trilateral cooperation, according to the readout.
Muttaqi welcomed the participation of the Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers in this round of dialogue and thanked both countries for their firm support of Afghanistan on the international stage. Given the significant changes in the current international and regional landscape, Afghanistan hopes to use this meeting as an opportunity to deepen friendly relations, strengthen coordination and cooperation and advance trilateral cooperation to achieve greater development.
Dar stated that Pakistan, China and Afghanistan are closely linked by historical, cultural, and economic ties, and that the three countries have enormous potential for cooperation. He emphasized the need to jointly advance the partnership, enhance cooperation in trade, Belt and Road cooperation, connectivity and counterterrorism, and achieve common development.
As Afghanistan's neighbor, Pakistan is willing to make greater contributions to advancing Afghanistan's peace process and improving the livelihoods of the Afghan people. Pakistan also called for the unfreezing of Afghanistan's overseas assets. He stressed that, on the basis of equality, mutual trust and shared responsibility, the three parties should work together to combat cross-border terrorist attacks and all forms of terrorism.
The three sides unanimously agreed to give full play to the role of the trilateral foreign ministers' dialogue mechanism, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
Bloomberg said this high-level talk gives a boost to the Taliban's push for legitimacy on the world stage, showing that key regional players are willing to engage with it despite the lack of formal recognition.
With regard to recognizing the Afghan Taliban, China has consistently advocated maintaining constructive engagement with the group, helping it better integrate into the international community, enhancing its capacity for self-development and encouraging it to establish a more inclusive political system, Zhu told the Global Times on Thursday.
"This approach has further shaped China's image as a positive and reliable diplomatic actor," Zhu said.
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