KABUL — Taliban on Sunday hosted a trilateral economic meeting in Kabul China and Pakistan’s special envoys, discussing joint industrial zones, trade initiatives, and regional economic integration even as tensions flared between Islamabad and New Delhi.
The meeting was held with Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq Khan and China’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong. It was chaired by Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s acting minister of industry and commerce.
In a statement, the Taliban’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce said the talks focused on proposals including the establishment of joint industrial parks in Afghanistan, creation of special economic zones, shared export processing centers, expanded banking cooperation, and the promotion of small and medium enterprises. The sides also discussed organizing future trade exhibitions under a trilateral framework.
Azizi urged Chinese and Pakistani delegates to continue visiting Afghanistan to “deepen dialogue and expand cooperation,” according to the ministry’s readout.
In parallel to the economic discussions, Taliban acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also led a separate trilateral meeting with the Chinese and Pakistani envoys on Saturday, May 10, addressing broader regional stability, security cooperation, and diplomatic engagement.
Writing on the social platform X, Pakistan’s envoy Sadiq Khan said the talks aimed to align views on economic collaboration, regional connectivity, and security issues. “This format provides a platform for convergence on key priorities,” he wrote.
While the full details of the closed-door meetings were not made public, Pakistani journalist Tahir Khan told local media the agenda likely included cross-border security concerns, especially given China’s interest in maintaining stable ties between Pakistan and the Taliban. Khan noted that the trilateral dialogue mechanism was first established in 2017 following a major Taliban attack in Kabul, with China mediating between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
China remains one of Pakistan’s closest strategic partners and has invested heavily in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Observers say Beijing has also taken a growing interest in Afghanistan’s internal stability, especially after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
The latest meeting took place as India and Pakistan continue to engage in their most intense military conflict in decades, prompting speculation among analysts that the Taliban’s alignment with Islamabad and Beijing could send a signal to New Delhi.
The previous trilateral dialogue among the Taliban, Pakistan, and China was held on the sidelines of the Moscow Format meeting in October 2023. Sunday’s summit marked the first formal revival of the forum since then, and its timing — coinciding with an active border conflict between India and Pakistan — has drawn increased geopolitical attention.
