The foreign ministers of China and Afghanistan on Thursday discussed opening a strategic corridor to improve trade ties between Beijing and Kabul.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tibet on the sidelines of the 3rd Trans-Himalayan International Cooperation Forum, an Afghan official said.
The two countries agreed to increase trade ties through the Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of land located at the northeastern tip of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province and a strategic route connecting Afghanistan with Xinjiang, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan.
The two foreign ministers also discussed the new trade corridor between Kabul and Beijing.
Previously, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the two sides discussed bilateral relations and the opening of the Wakhan Corridor between Beijing and Kabul.
Wakhan is a narrow region with a population of around 10,000.
If China and Afghanistan implement the plan, this could also pave the way for Pakistan to connect with Central Asian republics such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Muttaqi thanked Wang for appointing a permanent ambassador to Kabul and said it reflected the strong ties between the two countries.
Last month, China became the first country to send a new ambassador who presented his credentials to acting Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund.
“The Chinese Foreign Minister said that other countries would not affect its diplomatic relations with Afghanistan and China would continue its traditional friendship with Afghanistan,” Ahmad said, quoting the Chinese Foreign Minister’s statement.
Source : aa
