Islamabad: China has launched diplomatic efforts to end the escalating Pak-Afghan tension.
According to diplomatic sources, senior Chinese diplomat and China’s special representative for Afghanistan Yu Xiaoyong arrived in Kabul immediately after his visit to Islamabad, where he met with Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir, Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob and other officials.
Sources said that during his stay in Islamabad, Pakistani officials briefed the senior Chinese diplomat on the threat posed by the defunct TTP and other terrorist groups, and made it clear that progress in relations with Kabul cannot be made without addressing this threat.
Sources said that they believe that the visit of the senior Chinese diplomat to Kabul and Islamabad is part of a new Chinese effort to end the escalating Pak-Afghan tension.
The Afghan Deputy Prime Minister’s Office acknowledged in a statement that Pak-Afghan relations were an important topic of discussion with the Chinese special representative.
According to the statement, during the meeting, Chinese representative Yu Xiaoyong emphasized the importance of promoting ties and understanding between Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.
On this, the Deputy Prime Minister assured the Chinese representative that promoting the country’s economy and regional cooperation are Kabul’s top priorities.
According to observers, China is keen on an immediate resolution of all issues between Islamabad and Kabul. China has also tried in the past to broker a deal between the two neighbors on the TTP issue, which failed.
