PESHAWAR - A Taliban delegation visited China earlier this month for discussions on the current situation in Afghanistan, sources in the militant movement have said.
Led by Abbas Stanikzai, head of the Taliban´s political office in Qatar, the team paid a five-day visit to Beijing from July 18 to 22 in response to an invitation of the Chinese government.
A senior Taliban leader was quoted as saying by Pakistani media: "We have good terms with different countries of the world and China is one of them. We informed Chinese officials about the occupation by invading forces and their atrocities.”
The unnamed insurgent leader told The News: "We wanted the Chinese leadership to help us raise these issues on world forums and help us get freedom from occupying forces."
China, Pakistan, the United States and Afghanistan are members of the four-country group that tried to revive peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban earlier this year. But the initiative seems to have fizzled out.
According to The Express Tribune, another newspaper, said China -- enjoying good relations both with the Afghan government and Taliban -- wanted to play an ‘active role’ in the peace negotiations if all sides agree.
“I can confirm that our delegation visited China to discuss the invasion in the region and to adopt a joint stance against the malicious policies of the invading countries,” the Taliban leader told the daily.
“Policies of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) about the region and the world also came under discussion,” he said, without commenting on the possibility of peace talks.
Qari Hamza, speaking on behalf of the Fidayee Mahaz, said: “The Taliban leaders held talks with the intelligence officials of China, the US and foreign countries and reached a deal with them,”
Chinese officials have met Taliban representatives in Qatar.  China also hosted Taliban and officials of the Afghan government’s High Peace Council in Urumqi earlier last year.(Pajhwok)