What Happened
China’s foreign minister said the Taliban should return to mainstream politics in Afghanistan and cut all ties to terrorist forces, The Hindu reported on July 14.

Why It Matters
This statement reflects China’s growing concerns with the Taliban’s recent territorial advances in Afghanistan, which Beijing fears could lead to a resurgence of other terrorist groups in the region, including the East Turkmenistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Afghanistan’s volatile border regions with Central Asia could enable ETIM fights to access and carry out an insurgency in China’s Xinjiang province. The TTP, meanwhile, has targeted Chinese nationals and Chinese-backed projects in Pakistan in the past and, emboldened by the Taliban’s gains, could do so again — threatening the safety and security of the individuals and investments involved in the massive China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Background
Recent reports have indicated that ETIM fighters have recently begun regrouping in northwest Afghanistan, near the Chinese border. The TTP has previously issued statements against China condemning the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.