China’ s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the new Afghan regime should crack down on terrorists to eliminate extremism from Afghanistan.
China encourages the Afghan Taliban to pursue a moderate religious policy and hopes that the new Afghan regime can make a clean break with all types of international terrorist forces, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying during a press conference.
China hopes that the Taliban can work with all parties to establish an open and inclusive political framework, as well as pursue a peaceful and friendly foreign policy, particularly by developing friendly relations with neighbouring countries, in order to achieve reconstruction and development in Afghanistan, Hua said, according to Xinhua.
She said the new Afghan regime should constrain and crack down on terrorist groups, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, in order to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a gathering place for terrorist and extremist forces again.
Noting that China is Afghanistan’s largest neighbouring country, Hua said China has always respected Afghanistan’s sovereign independence and territorial integrity, adhered to non-interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, and pursued a friendly policy towards all the Afghan people.
“For a long time, China has maintained contact with the Taliban on the basis of full respect for the national sovereignty of Afghanistan and the will of various factions in the country, and played a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the Afghan issue,” she said.
In recent months, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi presided over the second China + Central Asia (C+C5) foreign ministers’ meeting in Xi’an, attended the 4th China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – Afghanistan Contact Group foreign ministers’ meeting, and maintained close communication and interaction with Pak officials.
On July 28, Wang Yi met with a visiting delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the political chief of Afghanistan’s Taliban, in Tianjin, China, and expressed hope that the Taliban can prioritise national interests, raise the banner of peace talks, establish peace goals, and pursue an inclusive policy.
“China will continue to maintain close coordination with all parties concerned to push for an end to the war in Afghanistan at an early date and achieve lasting peace,” Hua said.
