China invites various Afghan delegations to attend Shanghai forums

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Zhao Xing, China’s ambassador to Kabul, has extended invitations to Afghan delegations to attend Shanghai forums this year. 

In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry noted China’s interest in “expanding bilateral cooperation.”

The statement quoted Zhao as saying that China, as Afghanistan’s close neighbor, places “great importance on strengthening its relationship” with Afghanistan and is ready to take further steps toward developing ties between the two countries.

The Islamic Emirate was not invited to the SCO summit held in Islamabad on October 15–16, 2024.

Reports indicate that Afghanistan’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has been inactive since September 2021. Afghanistan became an observer member of the SCO on June 7, 2012, but has not actively participated in the organization’s activities since joining.

The 25th SCO Summit is scheduled to be held in China in the second half of this year.

The summit will offer a platform for discussions on key issues including food security, energy, the environment, and the fight against terrorism.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which represents 25% of global GDP and 40% of the world’s population, plays a key role in fostering economic, trade, and security cooperation among its member states.

In addition to the leaders’ summit, more than 40 related meetings of SCO mechanisms are expected to take place in China throughout the year.