[Salon] Chinese Foreign Minister visits Afghanistan for 3-way talks on Pakistan economic corridor

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

Chinese Foreign Minister visits Afghanistan for 3-way talks on Pakistan economic corridor

Wang Yi’s visit held against backdrop of intensive trade and security discussions between Kabul and Islamabad, a sign of warming relations

The South China Morning Post

Zhao Ziwen

 20 Aug 2025

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has arrived in Kabul to meet his counterparts from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It is Wang’s first trip to the country since a surprise visit in March 2022.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed he arrived in Afghanistan on Wednesday. The ministry had earlier said he would travel to Pakistan later in the day for a three-day visit that will include talks with Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

According to Geo News, a Pakistani media outlet, the Kabul meeting will focus on counterterrorism efforts and extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a project under China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative – to Afghanistan.

The three-way meeting takes place against the backdrop of intensive trade and security discussions between Kabul and Islamabad in recent months, signalling a warming of ties that were once shaped by concerns about terrorism.

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