China ready for ‘friendly relations’ with Taliban
China says it is ready to deepen "friendly and cooperative" relations with Afghanistan, after the Taliban seized control of the country.
China shares a rugged 76-kilometre (47-mile) border with Afghanistan. Beijing has long feared Afghanistan could become a staging point for minority Uyghur separatists in the sensitive border region of Xinjiang.
But a top-level Taliban delegation met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tianjin last month, promising that Afghanistan would not be used as a base for militants.
In exchange, China offered economic support and investment for Afghanistan's reconstruction.
On Monday, China said it "welcomed" the chance to deepen ties with Afghanistan and that it respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny.
China's embassy in Kabul remains operational, although Beijing began evacuating Chinese citizens from the country months ago amid the deteriorating security situation.
