The United States has accepted China's invitation to host new talks between the western nation and Afghan and Taliban officials. The US' acceptance for a face-to-face meeting in Beijing is a big development and a step forward in the long-running pursuit for Afghan peace.
US President Donald Trump previously cut all negotiations with the Middle Eastern insurgents following the death of a US soldier. Last week, China reportedly extended an invitation to a Taliban delegation and to Afghan officials to meet with their US counterparts in Beijing. This is the second time such a meeting was arranged, the first one being the dialogue that was held in Qatar in July.
In a joint statement released on Monday by the United States, the country revealed that it has welcomed China's proposal to host the next intra-Afghan meeting. The US will be sending its special envoy on Afghan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad, and other officials to meet with representatives of the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban.
Last week, Khalilzad reportedly traveled to Moscow to meet with his counterparts from China, Russia, and Pakistan to discuss and renew their commitment to establishing a comprehensive peace agreement in the Afghan region.
China, Russia, Pakistan, and the United States all have some involvement in the Afghan conflict. China currently shares a 76-kilometer border with Afghanistan and has been actively been trying to curb Islamic extremism within its territory.
Russia, when it was still the Soviet Union, had led an intervention campaign against Islamic guerillas in the 1980s. The Islamic guerillas during that time were backed by the United States. Meanwhile, Pakistan was included by the three superpowers for its involvement in the Taliban's 1996-2001 regimes.
The United States, through Khalilzad, has been trying to broker an agreement with the Taliban for years. Both parties finally reached a deal and the US had agreed to withdraw its troops to put an end to the war. Unfortunately, Trump had decided to put an end to negotiations last month after an incident in the region had resulted in the death of a US soldier.
Apart from the US, the Taliban had also refused to continue its dialogue with the Afghanistan government. China, Pakistan, and Russia have continually been trying to get everyone into the negotiating table once again to finally broker an agreement.
With the US now on board to engage in renewed talks with the Kabul government and the Taliban, hopes are that gathering would plant the seeds to an eventual resolution to the long-running conflict.
