ISLAMABAD: China will not attend a regional security dialogue of stakeholder countries on Afghanistan to be hosted by India this month, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.
Last month, India announced plans to convene a national security advisor-level meeting to discuss the situation in Afghanistan following the seizure of Kabul by the Taliban in mid-August.
India has invited Pakistan, China, Iran, Russia and Tajikistan to the conference which is planned for November 10-11. Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf said last week he would not participate.
"Due to scheduling reasons, it is inconvenient for China to attend the meeting. We have already given our reply to the Indian side," Wang said during a press briefing.
India has long had concerns about the Taliban because of the group's close ties to arch rival Pakistan.
India invested more than $3 billion in development work in Afghanistan and had built close ties with the US-backed Kabul government. But with the rapid advance of the Taliban, the Indian government was facing criticism at home for not opening a channel of communication to the militants. In June, informal contacts were established with Taliban political leaders in Doha.
When the Taliban were last in power from 1996-2001, India along with Russia and Iran supported the Northern Alliance that fought against the insurgent group.
