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| Members of Taliban forces sit at a checkpost in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 17. Reuters-Yonhap |
Afghanistan should not be turned into a geopolitical battlefield and the world should support the war-torn nation instead of putting more pressure on it, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
In a phone call with his British counterpart Dominic Raab, Wang said the situation in Afghanistan remained unstable and uncertain with the insurgent group Taliban retaking power after it was forced out by a US-led military action which lasted two decades.
“Afghanistan is still unstable and uncertain, and the international community should encourage and guide it in a positive direction, instead of exerting excessive pressure,” Wang said, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.
“The international community should fully respect the independence and sovereignty of Afghanistan and the will of its people, conduct more dialogue and provide more guidance, refrain from a predetermined mindset and exceeding one’s duties to meddle in others’ affairs, and not turn Afghanistan into an arena of geopolitical games.”
China has not officially recognized the Taliban as the new government. But Wang hosted Taliban chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Tianjin last month ― recognizing the insurgent group as an important political force in Afghanistan but also demanding it cut ties with other terrorist forces.
“The major change to the situation in Afghanistan reflects that after more than 40 years of war, the Afghan people yearn for stability and do not want another war or chaos,” Wang was quoted as saying in the phone call with Raab. “The situation in Afghanistan is yet another negative example, and if the United States does not learn from the painful lesson, it will suffer new ones,” he said.
Wang said China was willing to continue to play a constructive role on the Afghan issue, but called on Afghanistan to draw a clear line from terrorism and crack down on terrorist groups.
Since taking over the capital Kabul, Sunday, the armed group says it has become moderate and pledged more rights for women and an amnesty for government officials. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group did not want any internal or external enemies and would maintain peaceful relations with other nations.
The Taliban has declared the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the country’s formal name under Taliban rule before the militants were ousted by US-led forces in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Thursday said China was aware of the suspicions towards the Taliban but added that “nothing in the world is set in stone,” and the pledges by Taliban officials in recent days had sent positive signals.
But diplomatic observers said Beijing remains sceptical as to whether the Taliban will keep its promise to cut ties with terrorist groups. They pointed out the Taliban had made similar pledges before, but its connections with other terrorist groups remained close.
China: don’t turn Afghanistan into a geopolitical battlefield
Source: Buhay Kapa PH
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