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World needs to guide the Taliban in Afghanistan, China tells US
Wang warned Blinken that the “hasty withdrawal” of international troops could allow terrorist groups to “regroup and come back stronger”.
The international community including the US should “guide” the Taliban in Afghanistan, provide economic and humanitarian aid, stop the Afghan currency from depreciating and help maintain social stability, Chinese state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi has told secretary of state, Antony Blinken.
“While respecting the sovereignty of Afghanistan, the US should take concrete action to help Afghanistan fight terrorism and stop violence, rather than playing double standards or fighting terrorism selectively,” Wang said in his second phone conversation with Blinken in two weeks on the situation in the country.
Wang warned Blinken that the “hasty withdrawal” of international troops could allow terrorist groups to “regroup and come back stronger”.
“The US, in particular, needs to work with the international community to provide Afghanistan with urgently-needed economic, livelihood and humanitarian assistance, help the new Afghan political structure maintain normal operation of government institutions, maintain social security and stability, curb currency depreciation and inflation, and embark on the journey of peaceful reconstruction at an early date,” Wang said, according to a report by the Xinhua news agency.
Blinken, according to Xinhua, told Wang that Washington believes that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should speak in a “clear and unified voice” to show that the international community expects the Taliban to ensure the safe evacuation of foreign citizens in the aftermath of the US withdrawal.
Blinken added that the UNSC should also be unified in telling the Taliban to “guarantee that Afghan territory cannot become a hotbed of terrorist attacks or a safe haven for terrorism”.
In what was a clear rebuke of Washington’s decision to withdraw forces, Wang said the US side “clearly knows the causes of the current chaotic situation in Afghanistan”, adding that any action to be taken by the UNSC should contribute to easing tensions instead of intensifying them, and contribute to a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan rather than a return to turmoil.
In a statement issued by the US state department, spokesperson Ned Price said Blinken and Wang spoke about “the importance of the international community holding the Taliban accountable for the public commitments they have made regarding the safe passage and freedom to travel for Afghans and foreign nationals”.
The phone conversation - the Chinese state TV said was made at the invitation of Washington - amid a tirade of criticism launched by Beijing following the release of an US intelligence report into the origins of Covid-19 that China said “wrongly” claimed that Beijing was hindering the investigation and dismissed as “not scientifically credible”.
The two diplomats also discussed US-China ties on Sunday, according to the Chinese statement.
Wang said recent engagement between the two countries on Afghanistan and climate change show that dialogue and cooperation were better than confrontation. “China will consider how to engage with the US side based on the US attitude towards China,” Wang was quoted as saying.
