BEIJING (AP) — The top diplomats from China and Pakistan are taking swipes at President Donald Trump’s Afghanistan policy as they called for new talks with the Taliban to resolve the 16-year conflict.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday that Beijing stood firmly behind its “ironclad friend” Pakistan, even though “some countries” did not give Islamabad the credit it deserved in fighting terror, a pointed reference to the U.S.
Wang, who is hosting new Pakistani foreign minister Khawaja Asif on his first trip abroad, said China, Pakistan and Afghanistan will hold new high-level talks this year to push forward settlement negotiations even while the U.S. deploys thousands of more troops.
Trump infuriated Pakistan last month when he accused Islamabad of providing terrorists safe haven and threatened to suspend aid.
