China-Taliban relations

China is not the first to try to buy stability in Afghanistan. Will Beijing succeed where the U.S. and USSR failed?

Wang said China hopes the Taliban-appointed Afghan interim government will "take solid steps in the right direction.”

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has indeed provided China an opportunity, but there’s little evidence that Beijing has any concrete plan to address the country’s problems. 

The Taliban's new deal is actually a repeat of a previous contract signed by the former Republic government with CNPC in 2011. That deal's fate should temper expectations.

Far from inheriting an opportunity, China finds itself encumbered with an ever-expanding roster of problems in Afghanistan, which it is showing little interest in trying to resolve or own.

Chinese interests in expanding its engagement in Afghanistan lies in opportunist thinking.

China has little interest in providing global leadership on the Afghanistan issue, especially when selective engagement seems to be paying off.

China’s willingness to partner with the Taliban undermines American efforts to influence the extremist group’s behavior through pressure campaigns and sanctions.

Afghanistan has been partially successful in boosting stability, improving livelihoods, and protecting human rights, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi's surprise trip to Afghanistan was a clear sign that China is ready to engage with the Taliban as a normal government.

Wang Yi’s visit marked one of the highest-level engagements for the Taliban regime – and came just a day after the Taliban broke a promise to allow older girls to attend school.