China Urges Taliban for Enhanced Protection Following Kabul Restaurant Blast

Tue Jan 20 2026 15:35:49 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In the wake of a deadly explosion in a Chinese-run restaurant in Kabul, China calls on the Taliban to ensure the safety of its citizens in Afghanistan.

Following a fatal blast at a Chinese-run restaurant in Kabul, which killed seven individuals including one Chinese national, China has demanded the Taliban bolster security measures to protect its citizens. The incident, attributed to the Islamic State, marks a significant security concern for Beijing as it navigates its relationship with Afghanistan under Taliban control.

Beijing has demanded the Taliban government protect its citizens after an explosion at a Chinese-run restaurant in the Afghan capital Kabul killed at least seven people.

Six Afghans and one Chinese national were killed, and several more injured, in the blast at a Chinese restaurant in a heavily-guarded part of the city centre on Monday, officials told the media.

The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack; however, police in Kabul stated that the 'nature of the explosion is unknown' and is still under investigation.

China has urged its citizens not to travel to Afghanistan, where the Taliban seized control in 2021. The Islamic State has carried out numerous bombings since then.

Speaking on Tuesday, Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated that China had 'made urgent representations with the Afghan side, demanding that the Afghan side spare no effort to treat the injured and further take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens.'

The explosion reportedly occurred near the kitchen of the Chinese Noodle restaurant in Kabul's Shahr-e-Naw area. Dejan Panic, from the humanitarian group EMERGENCY, mentioned that his hospital received 20 people, seven of whom were deceased upon arrival, including four women and a child.

Eyewitness accounts from BBC Afghan reported that a car outside the restaurant was completely destroyed, with locals aiding in rushing critically injured individuals to hospitals. Large sheets were later placed to conceal the damaged establishment.

Police spokesman Zadran noted that the restaurant predominantly catered to Chinese Muslims and was owned by a Chinese Muslim man from Xinjiang along with his wife and Afghan business partner.

The local IS branch indicated that China was on 'the list' of its targets, particularly due to accusations of extensive crimes against Uyghur Muslims. China has been accused of human rights abuses against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang but denies these allegations.

This latest attack comes on the heels of past incidents, including a 2022 assault on a Chinese-owned hotel in Kabul and various attacks on Chinese nationals near the Tajik-Afghan border, leading to increased scrutiny of safety for Chinese citizens in the region.