China shows Afghanistan ambitions at multinational meetings

BEIJING (AP) — China’s ambitions to have a major hand in Afghanistan under the Taliban while boosting its own stature are on display at multinational meetings hosted by Beijing. The talks offer a rare opportunity for Russia and the U.S. to come together over the knotty issue of Afghanistan despite their deep differences over the Ukraine conflict. Special envoys for Afghanistan from China, the United States and Russia will convene separately from the foreign ministers of China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. China hasn’t recognized Afghanistan’s new hard-line government but has refrained from harshly criticizing it. The State Department says the participants agree on the need for the Taliban to build a truly inclusive government and respect human rights.