Wang Yi Meets Taliban, Pakistan FMs In Kabul After India Visit, Sparks Strategic Concerns For New Delhi

A day after concluding high-profile meetings in New Delhi, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held trilateral talks in Kabul with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, reviving Beijing’s push to link Afghanistan to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Wang, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on August 19, flew directly to Kabul on August 20 for both bilateral and trilateral engagements before heading to Islamabad. The unusual travel sequence — India, Afghanistan, Pakistan — is seen as diplomatically significant, given New Delhi’s long-standing objection to any “hyphenation” between India and Pakistan during visits of global leaders.

This marks Wang Yi’s first visit to Kabul in three years, and the first to the region since the India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025. His talks also come amid growing strains between Pakistan and the Taliban regime over cross-border terrorism.

Why is the trilateral cooperation under CPEC important?

According to a statement from the Taliban’s interim Foreign Ministry, the sixth meeting of the Afghanistan-China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ dialogue focused on boosting political, economic, and connectivity ties. The dialogue builds on earlier discussions in Beijing in May, when China and Pakistan formally invited the Taliban to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through an extension of CPEC.

India has consistently opposed both BRI and CPEC, citing sovereignty concerns since CPEC passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Kabul talks also reportedly touched on plans for a trans-Afghanistan railway line linking Central Asia to Pakistani ports, which would expand China’s strategic footprint in the region.

Why is China interested in Afghan integration into CPEC?

In his bilateral meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Wang emphasised China’s readiness to begin “practical mining operations” in Afghanistan this year, signaling Beijing’s interest in the country’s vast untapped mineral resources. Trade between China and Afghanistan already crossed $1 billion last year, according to official statements.

Wang also welcomed Pakistan’s acceptance of a Taliban-appointed ambassador in May, a move that has upgraded diplomatic ties. Both China and Pakistan have envoys in Kabul, although neither has formally recognised the Taliban government.

Is there a strategic timing to this meeting ahead of the SCO Summit?

Wang is expected in Islamabad on August 21 and August 22 for the sixth round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue. His South Asia tour comes just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, where Prime Minister Modi, Pakistan’s Shahbaz Sharif, and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected.

Afghanistan remains an SCO Observer, but its participation has been suspended since the Taliban takeover in 2021.

While the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi declined comment on Wang Yi’s Kabul leg, the trilateral outreach is likely to raise fresh concerns in India over China’s expanding influence in its strategic neighbourhood.