High-level Pakistan-China-Afghanistan talks in Beijing next week

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif to represent Pakistan during the trilateral foreign ministers' meet on December 26

The first round of Pakistan-China-Afghanistan trilateral foreign ministers' talks will be held in Beijing on December 26, Tolo News quoted Chinese foreign ministry as saying.

At the invitation of Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif of Pakistan and Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani will head delegations to attend the dialogue, confirmed Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying last Thursday.



“As a common neighbour and friend of Afghanistan and Pakistan, China always supports Afghanistan and Pakistan in living in friendship and achieving common development,” said Hua Chunying.

In June this year, when Wang Yi visited Pakistan and Afghanistan for shuttle diplomacy, the three countries agreed to establish the Pakistan-China-Afghanistan trilateral foreign ministers' mechanism, as a platform for enhancing the dialogue and cooperation among the three countries.

She said, “This will be the first round of China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral Foreign Ministers' dialogue. The three countries will have in-depth communication on three topics, namely, mutual political trust and reconciliation, development cooperation and connectivity and security cooperation and counter-terrorism.”

“The Chinese side,” the foreign ministry spokesperson said, “hopes that through this dialogue, the three countries can build up consensus, enhance mutual trust, promote the improvement of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, enhance trilateral cooperation and jointly stay committed to the peace, stability and development of this region.”

Pakistan a priority in neighbourhood diplomacy: China

Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing has said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has achieved tangible results and China will continue to put Pakistan at its priority on neighbouring diplomacy, said Radio Pakistan.



In his message, after assuming the charge of his new assignment in Pakistan, the ambassador said China will continue to work together to build a China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future.

He said the two countries have always been together through thick and thin and we are unswervingly cooperating on the Belt and Road Initiative.