A Chinese delegation, led by the country’s ambassador to Pakistan, arrived in Afghanistan on Sunday for talks with the ruling Taliban movement. News organisations noted this was the most senior Chinese delegation to visit the capital, Kabul, since the Taliban took control of the city in 1996. The ambassador, Liu Shu Lin, flew in aboard a UN plane but has so far refused to comment on the reasons for his visit. In Afghanistan, state controlled radio said only that “matters of mutual interest” had been discussed during the two-day visit. However, a BBC report pointed out that the visit came as the UN Security Council was considering fresh sanctions against the Taliban, including an arms embargo on the movement. The report stated it was likely the Taliban would try and persuade China to veto any new sanctions proposed by the US and Russia.
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