China interested in Afghanistan's participation in Belt & Road Initiative

On August 20, Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, met Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, in Kabul, Report informs, citing the Afghan Foreign Ministry.

The meeting focused on the expansion of bilateral cooperation in various areas.

Describing Afghanistan–China relations as steadily developing, Muttaqi recognized China as an important trade partner, noting that annual trade between the two countries has reached $1 billion, while expressing hope that the trade volume would rise to a significantly higher level in the near future.

To strengthen economic cooperation, he presented practical proposals in the areas of transportation, banking relations, and balancing trade. He also called for joint intergovernmental commissions to work together to advance economic cooperation and address technical issues.

The foreign minister reaffirmed that Afghanistan’s territory will never be used against neighboring countries.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi likewise described bilateral relations as developing and emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, noting that relevant authorities are working to further increase Afghanistan’s exports to China.

Wang stated that China is interested in Afghanistan’s formal participation in the Belt & Road Initiative and expressed readiness to expand cooperation with Afghan institutions in mining exploration and extraction, indicating China’s intention to commence practical mining operations this year.

He assured that China will continue its political and economic support for Afghanistan and will work to remove obstacles facing Afghan agricultural products and other exports.