KABUL, 27 October 2021, (TON): Official statements confirmed “Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with the Taliban’s deputy head, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and other key officials for talks over the recent situation in Afghanistan in Qatar’s capital Doha.”

According to a statement by the Taliban-run Foreign Ministry in Kabul, the Afghan side said Afghanistan’s soil would not be used against China and expressing gratitude for its humanitarian assistance.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qahar Balkhi said “H.E. Muttaqi called on the Chinese side to address issues pertaining to Afghan traders and to facilitate the export of onyx marble, precious plants, dried apricots, almonds, dried figs, pistachios & particularly pine nuts.”

He added “the Afghan side led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also called on China to provide educational opportunities for the Afghan students in China.”

Balkhi said “Minister Wang Yi welcomed recent positive changes in Afghanistan & highlighted historic Afghan-Sino ties, adding that China would work on the basis of mutual interests of both countries & never interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.”

Separately, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also confirmed the Wang-Baradar meeting in Doha.

A statement from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand noted that Wang said Afghanistan is facing quadruple challenges, namely the humanitarian crisis, economic chaos, terrorist threats, and governance difficulties.