Taliban leader meets Chinese FM; assures not to allow terrorist forces to operate from Afghanistan

During Wednesday’s talks, Mr. Wang expressed hope that the Taliban can draw a clear line between themselves and the ETIM, Mr. Zhao said.

A Taliban delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on Wednesday made a surprise visit to China and held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which the Taliban leader termed Beijing as a “trustworthy friend” and assured that the group will not permit “anyone to use” Afghanistan’s territory. This is the first meeting between China and the Taliban amid the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan. The ongoing offensive by the Taliban capturing a significant amount of territory from government forces has sparked concerns in China that the separatist Uygur militant group from its volatile Xinjiang province, the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, (ETIM) would infiltrate through its Afghan borders.