World Should Support Afghanistan, Not Pressure It: Chinese Minister Wang Yi
The situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has retaken power 20 years after it was forced out by a US-led invasion, remains unstable and uncertain, Wang was quoted as saying by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The world should guide and support Afghanistan as it transitions to a new government instead of putting more pressure on it, China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday in a call with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
The situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has retaken power 20 years after it was forced out by a US-led invasion, remains unstable and uncertain, Wang was quoted as saying by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The international community should encourage and guide it in a positive direction instead of exerting more pressure," which will be conducive to stabilising the situation, he added, according to the ministry's statement on the call.
China has not officially recognised the Taliban as the new rulers but Wang last month hosted Mullah Baradar, chief of its political office, in Tianjin and said the Taliban were expected to play an important role in Afghanistan's peace and reconstruction process.
In the call with Raab, Wang also said the international community should not use Afghanistan as a geopolitical battleground but should respect its independence and the will of its people, the foreign ministry statement said.
China consistently objects to foreign criticism of its own system and generally rejects international pressure on other countries as interference.
Wang added there had been "positive signs" in Sino-British relations after a recent low point, concurring with a previous statement by Raab that relations should be defined by cooperation, not disagreement.
Ties with Britain soured when China last year introduced a national security law in the former British territory of Hong Kong and have also been strained by allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which Beijing denies, as well as by tensions over the coronavirus pandemic.
China is willing to strengthen communication with Britain on vaccines, treatment and tracing the origins of the virus, Wang said.
The situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has retaken power 20 years after it was forced out by a US-led invasion, remains unstable and uncertain, Wang was quoted as saying by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The international community should encourage and guide it in a positive direction instead of exerting more pressure," which will be conducive to stabilising the situation, he added, according to the ministry's statement on the call.
China has not officially recognised the Taliban as the new rulers but Wang last month hosted Mullah Baradar, chief of its political office, in Tianjin and said the Taliban were expected to play an important role in Afghanistan's peace and reconstruction process.
In the call with Raab, Wang also said the international community should not use Afghanistan as a geopolitical battleground but should respect its independence and the will of its people, the foreign ministry statement said.
China consistently objects to foreign criticism of its own system and generally rejects international pressure on other countries as interference.
Wang added there had been "positive signs" in Sino-British relations after a recent low point, concurring with a previous statement by Raab that relations should be defined by cooperation, not disagreement.
Ties with Britain soured when China last year introduced a national security law in the former British territory of Hong Kong and have also been strained by allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which Beijing denies, as well as by tensions over the coronavirus pandemic.
China is willing to strengthen communication with Britain on vaccines, treatment and tracing the origins of the virus, Wang said.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
