Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan remained caught up in a war of words with its archbishop’s words with India following the dramatic exchange of missiles and drones nearly two weeks ago, so this week it has advanced diplomatic efforts with two other neighbors.
At a “unofficial” trilateral conference held in Beijing on May 21, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Pakistan and Afghanistan were convened under the forum first launched in 2017 and last met in May 2023.
This time, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the important outcome of the meeting was a new willingness by both Pakistan and Afghanistan to restore diplomatic relations after tensions have risen in recent years.
“Afghanistan and Pakistan expressed a clear willingness to enhance diplomatic relations and, in principle, agreed to exchange ambassadors as soon as possible.
He added that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $62 billion megaproject under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will be expanded to Afghanistan.
A Pakistani diplomat with first-hand knowledge of the lecture told Al Jazeera that it will be held “quickly” and “quickly” within a few weeks, based on momentum from the Beijing Conclave.
“I am reasonably optimistic about the outcome. It was a great confidence and trust building exercise between the three countries,” the official said, discussing the Beijing Conference on condition of anonymity.
Tripartite diplomacy amidst the tensions between India and Pakistan
The meeting took place after a four-day standoff between Pakistan and India, where the two countries launched diplomatic attacks to assert “winning” and assert control.
The conflict between May 7th and May 10th followed an Indian strike called Pakistan’s “terrorist infrastructure” in retaliation for the Pahargam attack in India-controlled Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians last month. India has condemned attacks on Pakistan-based armed groups, Islamabad has denied.
China urged both sides to restrain, but its support for Pakistan was clearly seen as Pakistani forces using Chinese fighter jets, missiles and air defense systems at the forefront of the conflict.
Meanwhile, India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said in a conversation between the two on May 15 that he was grateful for the “condemnation” of Afghanistan’s Amir Khan Muttaki’s “condemnation”. Indian media also reported a visit to New Delhi by senior Taliban figures and Deputy Interior Minister Ibrahim Sadr in early May.
Given the geopolitical sensitivity of Afghanistan, Mastafa Haider Says, executive director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan Mina Institute, called the Beijing Conference “very important.”
For Pakistan and China, “the conflict with India strengthens strategic clarity regarding the need to work closely with Afghanistan,” Sayeed said.
Tameem Bahiss, a Kabul-based political analyst, agreed.
“this [the call between Muttaqi and Jaishankar] He shows significant changes in relations between India and Afghanistan. This could raise concerns in Islamabad in the already unstable region climate. “This not only reflects the need for coordination between the three countries, but also the new geological statistical dynamics in the South and Central Asia, reflecting the urgent need for coordination between the three countries.”
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Sen. Mohammad Ishaq Dar @Mishaqdar50, member of the CPC Politburo, People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi, Afghanistan’s representative minister Amir Khan Muttaki… held an informal Trilateral rally in photos.
– Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@foreignofficepk) May 21, 2025
A rocky relationship
When the Afghan Taliban returned to power in August 2021, many were considered Pakistan’s victory given its historic connections with the group. From 1996 to 2021, Pakistan was one of the important Taliban allies. Meanwhile, India saw the Taliban as a representation of Pakistan’s intelligence agency and refused to be involved in it.
However, relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have deteriorated.
Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing groups like Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to launch attacks across the border. Formed in 2007, TTP shares ideological roots with the Afghan Taliban, but operates independently.
According to the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, Pakistan suffered 521 attacks in 2024, up 70% from the previous year, killing nearly 1,000 civilians and security personnel.
However, on a trip considered a potential breakthrough in tension bonds, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishak Dal visited Kabul on April 19, a few days before the attack on Pahargam.
Islamabad-based security analyst Isanula Tipu said Pakistan’s new diplomatic outreach will prioritize diplomatic outreach to Afghanistan, and that China also shares that security will take priority over trade, border disputes and border closures.
“To promote meaningful trade relations, Pakistan’s security concerns must be addressed first,” Tipu told Al Jazeera, warning that otherwise it could intensify tensions in armed conflict.
“However, given China’s global influence and close ties with both Pakistan and Afghanistan, Beijing can play a pivotal role as a guarantor of the commitments made,” added Tipu, who co-founded the security research portal The Khorasan Diary.
Common security threats
Pakistan continues to criticize the Afghan Taliban, which has fighter jets attacking targets in Pakistan, but many of these attacks are directed at Chinese citizens working on the CPEC project.
Pakistan’s government figures estimate that around 20,000 Chinese citizens live in the country. In states such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, at least 20 people have been killed in the attack since 2021. Groups that include TTP are claiming responsibility.
China has also expressed concern about the Eastern Torkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), claiming that fighters are using Afghan territory to set off attacks against China.
PCI’s Sayed emphasized that both Pakistan and China view security as a “core interest” in Afghanistan.
“This is a shared threat, and in the past ETIM has had a significant presence in Afghanistan as well, and these radical networks are similarly linked. So it is a prerequisite for cooperation to move forward to the first neutralisation of these terrorist costumes that appear to operate comfortably in Afghanistan.
However, Bahis noted that since the Taliban’s return to power, he has discovered that countries in most regions, including China, have embraced the security situation within Afghanistan, allowing for continued economic involvement.
“The important exception is Pakistan, and continues to face serious threats from Afghan soil. Pakistan prioritizes elimination or inclusion of TTP, while Kabul focuses on trade, transportation and regional integration,” he said.
This could mark China’s pivotal role in the photograph, a Kabul-based analyst added that the country is being set up naturally by encouraging security cooperation while promoting trade and transport initiatives that benefit all three countries.
India-Afghanistan relations and Pakistan concerns
Between Afghanistan’s civilian governments from 2001 to 2021, India and Afghanistan developed close ties despite several attacks on India’s diplomatic missions by the Taliban and its allies.
Over the past few months, there has been an increase in interaction between New Delhi and Kabul officials, including the recent Jaishankar-Muttaqi conversation.
Does this warming of bonds cause an alarm in Islamabad? Sayed doesn’t think so.
“Pakistan has not misunderstood Kabul, but Pakistan has called for action. The rulers there should walk a talk on the TTP and other terrorist dress.
But Bahis said New Delhi’s settlement with the Taliban could lead to concerns in Pakistan and China.
“The recent India-Afghanistan contacts are still in their early stages, but their timing could raise concerns in Islamabad,” he said.
“Afghanistan has sovereignty that involves all countries, including India. But that must be taken with caution. Clear messaging is essential to ensure that the increase in relations with New Delhi is not misunderstood as a threat from players in other regions,” Bahis said. “Balancing these complex relationships requires diplomacy, transparency and mutual respect.”
