In April 2013, China announced it would host the fourth Foreign Minister’s Meeting of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan in 2014. That meeting, which will take place this August in Tianjin, will represent China’s most significant regional engagement on Afghanistan to date. China’s decision to host is part of a broader pattern of increased engagement, suggesting a shift in Beijing’s posture toward Afghanistan. China has indicated that it intends to become increasingly involved in discussions on the role of the region and international community after NATO’s combat mission ends in 2014.
Is the Afghan Unity Government a Roadmap for Negotiations With the Taliban?
Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was inaugurated as president of Afghanistan on Sept. 29, 2014, after a three-month-long dispute over the outcome of the June 14 runoff election. A Sept. 21 agreement between Ghani and runner-up Abdullah Abdullah provided for the establishment of a national unity government and created a new position: chief executive officer, held by Abdullah. It also contained long-term provisions to allow for permanently establishing the office of executive prime minister, institutionalizing the role created for Abdullah by decree.