As part of 'Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,' Pakistan launched airstrikes on Monday targeting what it described as 'military installations' in Kabul. Conversely, the Afghan Taliban claimed the strikes hit a drug rehabilitation hospital, resulting in an estimated 400 fatalities.
Pakistan has refuted Afghanistan's claims and said that no hospital was targeted in Kabul.
Tensions between the two nations have been simmering for some time, escalating early this year when both sides launched cross-border strikes. The friction stems from multiple factors, ranging from Islamabad’s accusations that the Afghan Taliban provides safe havens and logistical support to the TTP—a militant group responsible for a surge in deadly attacks within Pakistan—to the long-standing dispute over the controversial Durand Line.
Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Turkey and China have been taking part in mediations to ease the conflict.
Officials stated that a meeting late last month between Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif included a message from President Xi Jinping urging a cessation of hostilities. While Beijing maintains it is in contact with both nations regarding an end to the conflict, Mosharraf Zaidi—the Prime Minister’s spokesperson for foreign media—did not respond to inquiries about China’s mediation efforts.
Even last week, China's special envoy, Yue Xiaoyong, spent the last week in Kabul and Islamabad, urging a ceasefire. This strike, occurring immediately after those talks, suggests that regional diplomacy is failing to contain the "nationalist" drives of both the Taliban and the Pakistani military.
Why is China interested in mediation?
China's interest in mediating the conflict between the nations is driven by a blend of multi-billion-dollar economic stakes, regional security fears, and a desire to fill a diplomatic vacuum left by Western powers.
1. CPEC: China has invested over $65 billion in Pakistan's infrastructure, energy and ports. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is one of the most significant reasons for Beijing’s involvement. The current war along the Durand Line threatens these very routes (roads and railways) meant to connect China to the Arabian Sea.
2. Militant spillover: China is deeply wary of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). It fears that if the Taliban and Pakistan remain at war, the resulting chaos will allow groups like ETIM or ISIS-K to establish stronger bases in Afghanistan for operations against China.
3. Access to Afghanistan's mineral wealth: Afghanistan sits on an estimated $1 trillion in untapped mineral resources, including lithium and copper—minerals essential for China's global dominance in the EV battery market.
In 2025, Afghanistan was formally integrated into the Belt and Road framework. China wants to link Afghan mines to CPEC infrastructure, but this is impossible if the transit routes through Pakistan are a war zone.
4. Filling the diplomatic vacuum: With the United States and Israel currently embroiled in tensions with Iran, traditional mediators like Qatar and Turkey have been distracted.
China is in a difficult position; it cannot afford to lose Pakistan, its closest strategic ally, nor can it alienate the Taliban.