KABUL, Afghanistan: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul and discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors, particularly in mining.
The bilateral meeting took place ahead of a planned trilateral dialogue among the foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
According to a statement from the Afghan Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi and Muttaqi discussed cooperation across multiple sectors and ways to strengthen ties between the two nations.
Muttaqi described ties with China as “progressing” and said that Kabul considers China “a good trading partner,” as the bilateral trade had reached $1 billion.
He made “practical proposals” regarding the expansion of economic cooperation between Afghanistan and China, particularly in the areas of transportation, banking, and balancing trade, said the statement.
د ا.ا.ا. د بهرنیو چارو وزیر محترم مولوي امیر خان متقي نن په کابل کې د چین ولسي جمهوریت د بهرنیو چارو له وزیر ښاغلي وانګ يي سره وکتل.
په دې ناسته کې د دواړو هېوادونو ترمنځ په گڼو برخو کې د دوو اړخيزو همکاريو پر پراختيا خبرې وشوې. pic.twitter.com/uXiP9TddIi— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Afghanistan (@MoFA_Afg) August 20, 2025
Muttaqi “once again emphasised that Afghanistan’s soil will never be used against its neighbors.”
According to the Afghan statement, Wang described ties with Kabul as “progressing and considered the expansion of cooperation in various fields noteworthy.”
“The relevant institutions of both countries are working to further increase Afghanistan’s exports to China,” Wang said, adding Beijing is eager to support the Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI).
“Mr. Wang Yi also mentioned that China intends to initiate practical mining activities this year,” it said.
Kabul is hosting its first multilateral diplomatic event since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, bringing together the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Pakistan is being represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the meeting.
According to Hafiz Zia Ahmad, spokesperson for the Afghan Foreign Ministry, the trilateral talks will feature “comprehensive discussions” on a wide range of issues, including political, regional, and economic cooperation. He shared the update via a post on the social media platform X.
The previous round of trilateral talks among the three nations took place in China in May.
