ANKARA

China will "maintain" its embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul, the Taliban said late Thursday. 

The announcement came after Abdul Salam Hanafi, the deputy director of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Qatar, spoke by phone with China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao, said Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen.

“Both sides discussed the ongoing situation of the country and future relations,” said Shaheen.

“Our relations would beef up as compared to the past,” he said on Twitter, quoting Wu.

“Afghanistan can play an important role in security and development of the region,” Shaheen added.

Shaheen said China will increase its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, especially for the treatment of COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the Taliban said China will be its “main partner” and help rebuild Afghanistan.

“China will be our main partner and represents a great opportunity for us because it is ready to invest in our country and support reconstruction efforts,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an interview published by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

Earlier, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, met with Simon Gass, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s special representative for Afghan transition.

“The meeting focused on humanitarian aid, security and political issues as well as bilateral relations,” said Muhammad Naeem Wardak, another Taliban spokesman.

Quoting the British delegation, he said they have doubled their humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and “are ready to continue cooperating with the Islamic Emirate in this regard.”