Expressing gratitude for China's humanitarian assistance, Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), the abbreviation used by the Taliban when referring to its government, has urged Beijing to address a range of issues to boost bilateral ties. Muttaqi said that the Afghan side would protect the interests of China.
"Afghanistan's soil will not be used against China", Muttaqi said during Tuesday's meeting with Wang Yi in Doha. Wang Yi welcomed "recent positive changes in Afghanistan and highlighted historic Afghan-Sino ties", adding that China would work based on the mutual interests of both countries and never interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs.
The Xinhua News Agency reported that Wang Yi sought assurances from the Taliban to make a "clean break" with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a group Beijing alleges is inciting separatism in Xinjiang.
"Wang emphasised that the 'East Turkestan Islamic Movement' (ETIM), an international terrorist organisation listed by the UN Security Council, not only poses a real threat to China's national security and territorial integrity, but also jeopardises the domestic stability and long-term stability in Afghanistan", the Xinhua News Agency report said.
Muttaqi called on Beijing to address Afghan traders' issues and facilitate the export of onyx marble, precious plants, dried apricots, almonds, dried figs, pistachios, and particularly pine nuts.
The land-locked country supplies much of the fruits and nuts eaten in Pakistan and India, which account for about 80% of Afghanistan's exports. Traders have been facing a severe cash flow shortage since the Taliban's seizure of power in mid-August resulted in an abrupt halt to most donor funds.
The Taliban's leaders are making efforts to receive international recognition in meetings with foreign officials to keep the country running efficiently.
The Afghan side also called on China to provide educational opportunities for Afghan students in China. China grants scholarships to Afghan students.
*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other nations.