China has stepped in as a quiet mediator to ease rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, helping reduce the most intense fighting seen between the two neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, according to officials familiar with the situation, according to The Express Tribune.
Diplomatic efforts from China reportedly included a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping urging both sides to stop hostilities and seek dialogue. Pakistani officials said the message was conveyed during a meeting between Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif late last month.
Since then, the violence along the long and rugged border between the two countries has eased somewhat. The frontier stretches roughly 2,600 kilometres, and while small daily clashes are still reported, the heavy fighting that recently shook the region appears to have slowed. In recent days, neither side has reported new Pakistani air strikes inside Afghanistan.
The tensions began earlier this year when Pakistan launched air strikes on February 26, accusing the Taliban authorities in Kabul of giving safe haven to militant groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. Afghan leaders have strongly denied these claims, insisting that the security problems Pakistan faces are internal matters.
According to China’s foreign ministry, Beijing’s special envoy for Afghan affairs, Yue Xiaoyong, is currently traveling between the two countries to encourage dialogue and prevent the situation from escalating further. Chinese embassies in both capitals are also maintaining close communication with officials from both sides.
Diplomatic contacts have continued at several levels. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently held telephone talks with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to discuss the conflict and possible paths toward de-escalation. Meanwhile, China’s ambassador to Kabul, Zhao Xing, has met with Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Despite the diplomatic push, both Pakistan and Afghanistan claim they have inflicted heavy losses on the other during the fighting. However, these claims have not been independently verified.
China has strong interests in stability in the region. As a close partner of Pakistan and a growing economic player in Afghanistan, Beijing has invested heavily in infrastructure and mining projects across the region. Many of these projects are part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a vast plan to expand trade routes linking Asia, Europe and Africa.
For now, China’s mediation appears to have brought a fragile pause to the violence. Whether it leads to lasting peace, however, remains uncertain.
