KABUL — China, Pakistan and the Taliban have reached a behind-the-scenes agreement to curb India’s strategic influence in Afghanistan, according to a report by The Express Tribune, citing unnamed diplomatic sources.
The reported understanding was reached during a trilateral meeting held in Kabul on Saturday, May 10, between Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq Khan; China’s special representative, Yue Xiaoyong; and the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The talks, which were not open to the public, are said to have focused on geopolitical realignment and regional cooperation.
According to The Express Tribune, the parties agreed that India’s presence in Afghanistan should remain limited to diplomatic activities and that any broader strategic or economic footprint should be discouraged.
The report also stated that during the meeting, the Pakistani envoy urged the Taliban to support a neutral investigation into the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed. However, the Taliban’s foreign minister reportedly remained noncommittal and refrained from endorsing the request or distancing the group from Indian-led initiatives.
The closed-door meeting also included discussions on extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan — a long-standing Chinese objective aimed at increasing connectivity and trade in the region. The move is seen by analysts as a way to strengthen Beijing’s strategic presence while reducing Western influence in South and Central Asia.
Though the Taliban later confirmed that a trilateral dialogue had taken place, they did not release any statements regarding the agreements reportedly made during the session.
Sources cited by The Express Tribune added that following several bilateral and joint meetings held Friday night and Saturday, the parties agreed that the Taliban would host the next round of the trilateral foreign minister-level dialogue in Kabul — a move that would mark the first such high-level talks under Taliban leadership.
The Pakistani outlet also reported that both China and Pakistan signaled support for closer political and economic ties with the Taliban government, while simultaneously working to limit Western leverage in the region.
According to the report, China pledged continued political and economic backing for the Taliban, including enhanced connectivity with neighboring countries through overland trade corridors. The delegation from Islamabad, meanwhile, reportedly aimed to rally regional support for Pakistan’s position in its ongoing dispute with India, while also pushing for a coordinated effort to eliminate the Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan.
Neither China nor the Taliban have officially commented on the details of the discussions reported by the Pakistani press.
