Taliban Government To Attend China Belt and Road Forum

Oct. 14, 2023, (EIRNS)—The Taliban will be among the attendees of China’s Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on Oct. 17-18 this week, at the event marking the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, originally launched as One Belt, One Road.

According to Reuters, the Taliban will be represented by Acting Minister for Commerce and Industry Haji Nooruddin Azizi. Among the topics to be discussed are the construction of a road through the thin stretch of land directly connecting Afghanistan and China, as well as the expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to include spread to Afghanistan as well.

While no countries, including China, have formally recognized the acting government, China was the first country to appoint a new ambassador. (Other countries have kept their current ambassadors, or appointed lower level officials to avoid the diplomatic step of presenting credentials to Taliban authorities.)