Viewpoint丨 Xu Qinhua: The Overall Significance of the Extended Troika Meeting on Afghan Issue

On March 31, 2022, the Extended Troika Meeting on Afghan Issue was held in Tunxi, Anhui Province. The meeting, the first of its kind, is an important part of the Third Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Afghan Issue Among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan. Representatives from China, the United States, Russia and Pakistan exchanged in-depth views on coordination and cooperation on the Afghan issue and held a dialogue with the representative of the Afghan Interim Government. During the meeting, the participants reached a series of consensuses on peace in Afghanistan, highly appreciated China's holding of a series of meetings on the Afghan issue, and fully recognized China's constructive role in Afghanistan-related issues. Chaired by Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, Special Envoy for Afghan Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, the meeting concluded successfully and laid a solid foundation for holding institutionalized meetings on a regular basis.

China has played an indispensable role in the successful holding of the Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Afghan Issue Among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan. China which always regards Afghanistan as a neighbor "linked by mountains and rivers, and sharing weal and woe", has maintained close contact with the Afghan Interim Government, and actively promoted the settlement of the Afghan issue. As the only emerging power bordering Afghanistan, China is one of the earliest advocates of the Extended Troika Meeting and is the host country of this meeting. Giving full play to this unique status, China has acted as a conduit among all relevant parties. It not only hosted the Extended Troika Meeting on Afghan Issue for the first time to realize coordination among major countries on the Afghan issue, but also launched the mechanism of regular meetings of special envoys (special representatives) of Afghanistan's neighboring countries on the Afghan issue, established three working groups on political diplomacy, economy and humanitarian assistance , and security and stability , thus significantly enhancing the influence of the meeting mechanism. Compared with the previous two meetings, this Foreign Ministers' Meeting adopted the Tunxi Initiative, which puts forward more detailed goals in six major areas and the participating countries will assume corresponding responsibilities and tasks. The initiative also features innovation in rules by requiring the participating countries to assume corresponding responsibilities and tasks, thus making a major breakthrough in Afghanistan's reconstruction and cooperation process. The Extended Troika Meeting has greatly advanced the cooperation among the three countries on the Afghan issue in wider areas and at deeper levels, enhanced the relationship among them, and played a significantly positive role in resolving the Afghan issue.

After the United States' withdrawal and regime change in Afghanistan , the uncertainty of the situation in Afghanistan has increased significantly, posing a potential threat to regional security. As a Chinese saying goes, "pull one hair and the whole body is affected", the changes in the situation in Afghanistan have implications far beyond its borders. In recent years, the security situation in the Eurasian region, at the center of which is Afghanistan, has been turbulent. The U.S. withdrawal has left a power vacuum that, if not properly resolved, may cause serious spillovers and adverse effects on the security situation in the Eurasian region and beyond. Therefore, shortly after the regime change in Afghanistan, an institutionalized Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Afghan Issue Among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan was launched in September 2021 to maintain peace and stability in Afghanistan and its surrounding areas. With an increasing number of participating countries, the meeting has become the major international mechanism to address the Afghan issue. China is a neighboring country of Afghanistan, and Russia and the United States are also major powers deeply involved in Afghan affairs. It would be impossible to coordinate and tackle the Afghan issue without the participation of the three major powers. Against such a backdrop, the Extended Troika Meeting came into being.

China, the United States and Russia are all permanent members of the UN Security Council which are internationally recognized as global powers, with their relations being described as the "Big Triangle". Changes in China-U.S.-Russia relations often bring about huge changes in the international landscape. Given their unique roles as major powers, coordination among them is indispensable when it comes to dealing with important international issues. To solve the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and realize a smooth political transition, the support and help of the three countries are even more important. Therefore, this mechanism not only provides a way to properly resolve the Afghan issue, but also creates an opportunity for the Afghan Interim Government to have direct dialogue with major powers. The Extended Troika Meeting makes up for the lack of dialogue and coordination among major powers on the Afghan issue. In the future, it will also become a permanent mechanism for the Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Afghan Issue Among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan. By adding major-power diplomacy to the mechanisms related to Afghanistan, the Extended Troika Meeting will greatly advance the final settlement of the Afghan issue.

Recent years have witnessed more frequent conflicts and more acute tensions between major powers. Especially in the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, the relationship between major powers is unprecedentedly tense, causing panic and anxiety around the world. The significance of the Extended Troika Meeting is more prominent under the tense international circumstances. To manage relations between major powers, it's necessary to establish a multi-level and wide-ranging interactive mechanism to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, and eliminate strategic misjudgments. Maintaining peace and stability in Afghanistan and eliminating humanitarian crises are the common aspirations of China, the United States and Russia. Against this backdrop, the Extended Troika Meeting was launched and has become a new regular dialogue mechanism among the three countries. Although this meeting only discussed the Afghan issue and couldn't completely resolve the differences among the three countries on other issues, it sent a clear signal. As the international situation is becoming increasingly complex and relations between major countries are experiencing twists and turns, it is vital for senior diplomats of China, the United States and Russia to have direct dialogue. By so doing, they demonstrate to the world the will of the three countries to jointly address regional hotspot issues and maintain international peace. The mechanism also serves as an important reference and inspiration for the resolution of other international hotspot issues.