BEIJING -- China's response to the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has been a mix of offers of engagement with tacit pressure as it seeks to play a role in economic development and tamp down potential instability on Beijing's doorstep.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin confirmed that Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu has had contact with the Taliban, and asserted that Beijing is ready to "play a constructive role in Afghanistan's peace and reconstruction."
