Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

During chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Fang Fenghui's trip to Kabul, Afghanistan last month, he proposed an anti-terror alliance that includes Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

After the September 11 attacks, the US launched an anti-terror war in Afghanistan, which garnered support from not only NATO members, but also regional stakeholders such as Pakistan, China, Russia and India.

More than a decade has passed. The war on terror has achieved some results, but terrorists have not been wiped out. Parts of Pakistan have fallen into the hands of terrorists. The Pakistan-Afghanistan area is still a hotbed for terrorism that threatens regional security.

In 2014, the US and NATO gradually withdrew their troops from Afghanistan. Neighboring countries, especially major powers such as China, Russia and India, are obliged to play a more important role in Afghan stability and regional anti-terrorism.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) led by China and Russia, with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as the original members, was intended to tackle terror in the region. Since India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran became either new members or observers, the international community has placed high expectations on the SCO's role in anti-terrorism.

However, the expansion of the SCO does not mean it has become more effective at tackling terror. As the number of members increases, internal coordination becomes more difficult. Meanwhile, although anti-terror cooperation fits the interests of all countries, each side has different understandings of what terrorism is and what constitutes a terror group, making it hard to reach a consensus.

Besides, some countries would bring in their own agenda and try to solve bilateral conflicts within the framework of the multilateral mechanism, which weakens anti-terror efforts.

For example, Pakistan used to support the Afghan Taliban regime, hoping that a friendly Afghanistan could become a strategic lever to counter India. Meanwhile, India's active involvement in the Afghan peace process has had some success in luring Afghanistan and thus alienating Pakistan, which stifled Pakistan's desire in assisting Afghanistan.

Given obstacles within the multilateral mechanisms, a number of "minilateral" schemes emerged over the Afghan issue, such as the trilateral talks among China, Russia and Pakistan, another trilateral mechanism among China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the Quadrilateral Coordination Group involving Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US. In 2012, the US proposed to hold trilateral talks which would also include China and India, but it didn't work out.

These minilateral mechanisms are aimed at concrete agendas and involve stakeholders on particular matters, which are more like a "volunteer alliance." The mechanism draws in participants that have few divergences and the same will to solve problems, which makes it easier to reach a consensus.

The four-nation anti-terror alliance shows that the four parties involved have the same stake in regional anti-terror and stability problems. As the mechanism was initiated by China, it will help enhance mutual trust between Pakistan and Afghanistan and urge all sides to take effective joint actions.

The mechanism will coordinate anti-terror work rather than serve as a new regional organization or even a military alliance. It will not block other regional multilateral mechanisms as long as they contribute to the anti-terror process. All the four nations are either SCO members or observers. The mechanism will serve as supplement, rather than replacement, of the SCO.

The stability in South Asia and Central Asia will benefit China's westward strategy. It will also advance China's "Belt and Road" initiative and enhance cooperation between China and regional countries.

The four-nation alliance, in addition to previous minilateral coordinative mechanisms, displays China's positive stance in maintaining regional stability. This also shows China's proactive approach in getting involved in international and regional affairs and act as a responsible major power.

The author is a research fellow at the Charhar Institute and director of the Center for Indian Studies at China West Normal University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn Follow us on Twitter @GTopinion