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| Taliban and Afghan Peace Officials Have Secret Talks in China | Taliban and Afghan Peace Officials Have Secret Talks in China |
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| BEIJING — A peace envoy from Afghanistan met in western China last week with former Taliban officials with close ties to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, in an attempt to keep open the possibility of formal Afghan peace talks, officials said Monday. | |
| The meeting, hosted by China and, in part, organized by Pakistani officials, took place Wednesday and Thursday in Urumqi, capital of the western region of Xinjiang, which has mountainous borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan and is home to many Muslims. | |
| The main representative of the Afghan government was Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, who was, at the time, a crucial member of the country’s Peace Council, the group charged with exploring talks with the insurgency, and since then has been nominated by President Ashraf Ghani as defense minister. On the other side of the table were three figures from the old Taliban government in Afghanistan, according to current and former officials with knowledge of the discussions who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities. | The main representative of the Afghan government was Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, who was, at the time, a crucial member of the country’s Peace Council, the group charged with exploring talks with the insurgency, and since then has been nominated by President Ashraf Ghani as defense minister. On the other side of the table were three figures from the old Taliban government in Afghanistan, according to current and former officials with knowledge of the discussions who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivities. |
| Mr. Stanekzai is awaiting confirmation as defense minister and has been the architect of efforts by the government to begin formal peace negotiations. | Mr. Stanekzai is awaiting confirmation as defense minister and has been the architect of efforts by the government to begin formal peace negotiations. |
| “The meeting resulted from cooperation of the Pakistan and Afghan governments with the support of China,” said Barnett Rubin, a veteran scholar of Afghanistan who has worked in the United States government on Afghanistan policy. | “The meeting resulted from cooperation of the Pakistan and Afghan governments with the support of China,” said Barnett Rubin, a veteran scholar of Afghanistan who has worked in the United States government on Afghanistan policy. |
| The fact that China agreed to host the talks was the latest sign that Beijing is encouraging peace efforts and an end to Afghanistan’s 13-year civil war. In late 2014, two Afghan Taliban officials came to Beijing with Pakistani officials to discuss peace moves. | The fact that China agreed to host the talks was the latest sign that Beijing is encouraging peace efforts and an end to Afghanistan’s 13-year civil war. In late 2014, two Afghan Taliban officials came to Beijing with Pakistani officials to discuss peace moves. |
| The Taliban members came to Urumqi to reiterate familiar positions, and the representatives of the Afghan government said it was ready to make a strong effort to build trust if the Taliban agreed to peace negotiations, a senior Afghan official said. | The Taliban members came to Urumqi to reiterate familiar positions, and the representatives of the Afghan government said it was ready to make a strong effort to build trust if the Taliban agreed to peace negotiations, a senior Afghan official said. |
| At the moment, Mr. Ghani is more focused on trying to quell a deadly offensive by the Taliban than on organizing peace talks. | At the moment, Mr. Ghani is more focused on trying to quell a deadly offensive by the Taliban than on organizing peace talks. |
| Mr. Ghani’s spokesman, Ajmal Obaid Abidy, said Monday that “the Afghan government has not conducted any negotiations yet.” | Mr. Ghani’s spokesman, Ajmal Obaid Abidy, said Monday that “the Afghan government has not conducted any negotiations yet.” |
| “We stand by our promise to the Afghan people that when the talks begin, they will be transparent and the people will be informed,” he said. | “We stand by our promise to the Afghan people that when the talks begin, they will be transparent and the people will be informed,” he said. |
| The Taliban issued a statement on Sunday saying that they never took part in a meeting with the Afghan government. But the three main Taliban attendees were not official representatives of the Afghan Taliban. They live in Pakistan, where they are said to have regular contact with the Pakistani spy agency. | |
| The three were Mullah Jalil, a former foreign minister; Mullah Abdul Razaq, a former interior minister; and Mullah Hassan Rahmani, a former governor of Kandahar Province. | The three were Mullah Jalil, a former foreign minister; Mullah Abdul Razaq, a former interior minister; and Mullah Hassan Rahmani, a former governor of Kandahar Province. |
| A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Monday that she had no specific information on the meeting in Urumqi, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. | A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Monday that she had no specific information on the meeting in Urumqi, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. |
| “I am not aware of the situation you mentioned,” the spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said at a regularly scheduled news conference in Beijing. “As a friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China highly values developing China-Afghanistan relations and hopes that Afghanistan will achieve enduring peace, stability and development at an early date.” | “I am not aware of the situation you mentioned,” the spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said at a regularly scheduled news conference in Beijing. “As a friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China highly values developing China-Afghanistan relations and hopes that Afghanistan will achieve enduring peace, stability and development at an early date.” |
| Li Xin, the head of the Center for Russia and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, said: “China simply provided them a place to talk, in a bid to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan. It is normal, since both sides find it difficult to meet face to face in their own country. It is more convenient for them to negotiate on the territory of a third party that can mediate the disputes.” | Li Xin, the head of the Center for Russia and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, said: “China simply provided them a place to talk, in a bid to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan. It is normal, since both sides find it difficult to meet face to face in their own country. It is more convenient for them to negotiate on the territory of a third party that can mediate the disputes.” |
| Mr. Li added: “China still upholds its noninterference principle, but it intends to play a much bigger role in stabilizing its western border as the situation deteriorates. Military intervention is not an option for China, so it can only push for talks among all parties to realize regional peace.” | Mr. Li added: “China still upholds its noninterference principle, but it intends to play a much bigger role in stabilizing its western border as the situation deteriorates. Military intervention is not an option for China, so it can only push for talks among all parties to realize regional peace.” |