Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet a delegation of the Afghan Taliban interim government in Qatar to exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan and other topics of concern for both sides. It is a continuation of communication between the two sides since their meeting in North China's Tianjin in July, Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.

Wang Yi is scheduled to pay a visit to Qatar from Monday to Tuesday, during which he will meet a delegation of the Afghan Taliban government, according to a statement on the ministry's website.

Since August, the situation in Afghanistan has undergone fundamental changes and the Afghan people have welcomed a historic opportunity to decide the future of their country. At the same time, Afghans have also been facing many difficulties and challenges and are in urgent need of external support, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the ministry, told a routine press conference.

"As a traditional friendly neighbor and partner of Afghanistan, China has always advocated guiding the sound development of the situation in Afghanistan through dialogue and contact and helping the Afghans to tide through difficulties," Wang Wenbin said, noting that under such consideration, China and the Afghan Taliban interim government decided to meet in Doha.

This will be the continuation of the meeting between the two sides in North China's Tianjin in July, and the first high-level meeting between the two sides since the Afghan Taliban established the interim government. The two sides will exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan and other topics of common concern, the spokesperson said.

Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies in Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Monday that the upcoming meeting may focus on the humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, and China probably will also ask the Afghan Taliban to cut off ties with terrorist groups including the East Turkistan Islamic Movement. 

While countries continue to reach out to the Afghan Taliban, the Chinese expert said it's also necessary to urge the US to lift the sanctions on Afghanistan. However, it will take time for the Afghan Taliban to completely cut off ties with extremist groups like the Islamic State, Zhu said.