Afghanistan crisis: China ready for 'friendly relations' with Taliban

China is ready to deepen “friendly and cooperative" relations with Afghanistan, a government spokeswoman said Monday, after the Taliban seized control of the country.
 
Beijing has sought to maintain unofficial ties with the Taliban throughout the US' withdrawal from Afghanistan, which spurred an advance by the Islamist hardliners across the country that saw them capture the capital Kabul on Sunday. China shares a rugged 76-kilometre (47-mile) border with Afghanistan.
 
China said it “welcomed” the chance to deepen ties with Afghanistan, a country that has for generations been coveted for its geo-strategic importance by bigger powers, news agency AFP