Amid Iran War Talks, China Tests Its Clout In Pakistan-Taliban Conflict

(Mustafa Sarwar – RFE/RL) As US President Donald Trump says the war in Iran could be over “very soon” and Pakistani mediators in Tehran to meet with officials, another nearby conflict has been drawing Beijing’s attention. Since late February, fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan has intensified, with Islamabad declaring an “open war” with its neighbor. Strikes have killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan. The conflict has alarmed the international community and perturbed China, which is a partner to both countries and sensitive to violence along its western borders. Against that backdrop, Beijing has stepped in to play a diplomatic role, announcing on April 8 that it hosted weeklong talks in Urumqi in western China in hopes of brokering a cease-fire. At stake is not just tempering hostilities but a broader test of China’s ability to manage instability on its periphery, where it has deep economic and political ties. – Amid Iran War Talks, China Tests Its Clout In Pakistan-Taliban Conflict