Tuesday, China said that it will not attend the security dialogue on Afghanistan hosted by India due to “scheduling reasons.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Wang Wenbin revealed the news to the media.
“Due to scheduling reasons, it is inconvenient for China to attend the meeting. We have already given our reply to the Indian side,” the spokesperson said.
Last month, India invited Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, and all the central Asian countries to attend the ‘Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan’ scheduled for 10th November. However, Pakistan refused to attend the conference.
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India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will chair the conference. According to Indian media reports, the attendees may have a group call with Prime Minister Modi.
The high-level dialogue will review the security situation in the region arising from recent developments in Afghanistan.
Interestingly, China’s decision to not attend the meeting comes after Pakistan’s refusal.
Both Pakistan & China won't be attending 'Security Dialogue/Conference' on Afghanistan hosted by India.
Pakistan has declared India as 'Spoiler of Peace'.
— Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) November 9, 2021
Pakistan’s strong stance against India
Earlier, NSA Moeed Yusuf revealed to the media that he will not attend the security dialogue in India.
Talking to journalists, following a ceremony during which Pakistan and Uzbekistan signed a protocol on the establishment of a joint security commission to enhance bilateral cooperation in security-related matters, Moeed Yusuf said, “I will not visit New Delhi on India’s invitation.”
“A spoiler cannot take the role of a peacemaker,” Moeed Yusuf asserted.
"I Will Not Go! I Am Not Going…
A Spoiler Can Not Be a Peace Maker"NSA Dr Moeed Yusuf responds to a question about attending the Indian NSA-level meet on #Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/kGTfI5Qoia
— Malik Ali Raza (@MalikAliiRaza) November 2, 2021
To clarify, India, on several occasions, spread false information regarding Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan. Indian media ran a propaganda campaign maligning Pakistan’s efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan.
One such example of India’s vast disinformation campaign is when it used footage from a video game against Pakistan. Indian media portrayed the footage as Pakistan’s Air Force attacking Afghanistan.
Read more: Indian media accuses PAF of attacking Panjshir with fake gaming video
Furthermore, experts believe India’s effort to host the regional conference is an attempt to deflect domestic pressure and the impression that New Delhi has been left out of Afghan consultations.