China Says It’s Ready to Work with Taliban – What Comes Next? 

WASHINGTON - With the U.S. military drawdown in Afghanistan, China says it is ready to move ahead in its relations with the Taliban, but foreign policy experts say Beijing remains apprehensive about what comes next and may not devote a vast security and economic commitment to Afghanistan in the near future.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Monday with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi about developments in Afghanistan. The State Department said the two discussed the security situation and the two countries’ respective efforts to bring their citizens to safety. “China keeps in contact and communication with the Afghan Taliban on the basis of fully respecting Afghanistan’s sovereignty and the will of all parties in the country and has been playing a constructive role in seeking a political solution to the Afghan issue,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Monday during a briefing. Hua’s remarks were seen as the latest indication that China is laying the groundwork to endorse the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government.