On 28 July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held an official meeting with a Taliban delegation led by its political chief, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in Tianjin, China.

During the meeting, Yi told the nine-member delegation that China expects the Taliban to “play an important role in the process of peaceful reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan” following 20 years of US military intervention.

The Chinese Foreign Minister also said he hoped the Taliban would crack down on the East Turkestan Islamic Movement because it poses “a direct threat to China’s national security.”

According to a Taliban spokesman, the delegation assured China they will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against the Asian giant, while China reiterated its commitment to help rebuild Afghanistan under the principles of cooperation and non-intervention.