LAHORE, Pakistan -- Since rolling into Kabul in August and cementing control over the rest of Afghanistan, the Taliban have been in a frenetic round of diplomatic talks to end the country's economic and political isolation.

China has been sending aid to Afghanistan, which is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis, since the withdrawal of U.S. troops last August. © Xinhua/Kyodo
Allies China and Pakistan keen to maintain regional stability after U.S. withdrawal