China, Afghanistan, Pak take next steps on trilateral dialogue

Following his talks with Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and National Security Adviser Haneef Atmar in Kabul, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has had similar discussions with senior Pakistan government officials in Islamabad.

According to the Dawn, the Chinese and Pakistani delegations focused their discussions on the prevailing situation in Afghanistan and the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to sources, Beijing is proposing a trilateral mechanism for cooperation for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and better coordination on counter-terrorism actions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. An announcement in this regard is expected on Sunday.

China, Pakistan and Afghanistan have already had discussions on issues concerning them on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held earlier this month.

Minister Wang Yi also met Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa and reportedly discussed issues related to defence cooperation.

Beijing's interest in Afghanistan is out of its security concerns related to presence of Uighur militants in Badakhshan province.

China's regional engagement is also driven by its desire to invest economically in Afghanistan and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.