China’s Wang Yi proposes four priorities for Asian cooperation, highlights Afghanistan’s security

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has outlined four proposals to strengthen cooperation among member states of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), stressing that Afghanistan remains an integral part of Asia’s security.

According to China’s Xinhua News Agency, Wang presented the proposals on Thursday during the seventh CICA summit in Baku, calling for greater regional cooperation in security, economic development, cultural exchanges and global governance.

China Calls for Greater Regional Coordination on Afghanistan

Wang said China hopes to strengthen regional coordination on Afghanistan and provide humanitarian and development assistance to the Afghan people.

He also called on the Afghan government to take concrete measures to eliminate violent terrorist groups operating on its territory, saying such efforts are necessary to achieve lasting peace and stability.

Addressing broader regional challenges, Wang called for political and diplomatic solutions to international disputes, respect for national sovereignty and the continued openness of key maritime routes.

Four Proposals for Regional Cooperation

According to Xinhua, Wang outlined four priorities for advancing cooperation among CICA member states:

Safeguarding peace and stability: Strengthening common security, opposing bloc confrontation and resolving disputes through dialogue and cooperation.

Promoting economic development: Expanding trade and investment, aligning Belt and Road cooperation with national development priorities, and securing transport corridors and critical resources.

Deepening cultural exchanges: Enhancing cooperation in culture, tourism, healthcare, media and people-to-people engagement.

Improving global governance: Strengthening the role of the United Nations and expanding cooperation in digital governance, disaster risk reduction and public health.

Wang also emphasized the importance of respecting countries’ independent choices of development paths and governance models while strengthening collective efforts to address shared challenges.

His remarks underscore China’s call for stronger regional engagement on Afghanistan, where security cooperation, humanitarian assistance and long-term stability remain important issues for neighboring countries and the wider Asian region.

These meetings are taking place at a time when the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly emphasized the necessity of having an Afghan representative present at regional meetings concerning the country, and has called for Afghanistan’s formal membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.