![Afghanistani President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China, Oct. 28, 2014 (AP photo by Andy Wong).](https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/l_xi_ghani_09082015_1.jpg?w=519&h=259&crop=1)
At the end of July, following reports of Taliban chief Mullah Omar’s death, peace talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban to be held in China were canceled, striking a serious blow to China’s diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan. In an email interview, Kemel Toktomushev, a research fellow at the University of Central Asia, discussed China’s diplomatic outreach in Afghanistan and Central Asia. WPR: How active of a diplomatic role is China playing in Afghanistan, and how does China’s influence in Afghanistan compare to other international partners? Kemel Toktomushev: Indeed, Beijing is becoming more proactive in the region in general, and in […]