FM to visit Central Asia on SCO mission for Afghan peace
► China provides help, but won’t interfere: expert
As the security threats of the US military’s hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan spills over to neighboring countries, Chinese foreign minister has scheduled visits to three Central Asian countries upon invitation, and will discuss with Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officials about the situation in Afghanistan.
Despite the shadow cast by Afghanistan’s new situation, it propels regional countries, including China, to gaze closely into it. Analysts said there are both challenges and opportunities for China in Afghanistan’s situation. By including the Afghanistan issue into the SCO agenda, not only can Beijing help further subdue the chaos left by the power vacuum in this country, but will also push ties between China and other Central Asian countries closer, they noted.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan between July 12 and 16 on the invitation of foreign ministers of the three countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced on Friday.
Wang Yi is also scheduled to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, where he will exchange views with other SCO member states and his Afghan counterpart on promoting regional security and stability, advancing the process of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, and deepening cooperation between the SCO and Afghanistan, Wang Wenbin said.
The US’ “irresponsible and hasty” withdrawal from Afghanistan has given rise to security threats in the country, and instability has begun to spill over to regional states, said Qian Feng from National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University.
Under such a circumstance, regional countries are turning to China, hoping it could coordinate a multilateral framework in dealing with the issue, according to Qian.
Led by China and Russia and created in 2001, the SCO also includes India, Pakistan and four other former Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Six of Afghanistan’s neighbors are members of SCO.
What gives the SCO an edge in solving the Afghan issue is its broad mandate, as it addresses the security, economic and human development agenda of Afghanistan, combining support for political stability, implementation of large-scale economic projects and assistance for social capital building, said Sun Zhuangzhi, executive director of Chinese Research Center of SCO.
Qian said that upholding the principle of non-interference, China’s role in organizing regional countries to help restore order in Afghanistan fits its image of a responsible power and regional stabilizer. “And during the process of multilateral negotiations, China’s relations with other Asian countries will be further enhanced, as such a process requires profound cooperation on various issues, be they economic, counterterrorism, or other fields.”
In an interview with This Week in Asia on Wednesday, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the organization sees China as a “friend” to Afghanistan and is hoping to talk to Beijing about investing in reconstruction work “as soon as possible.”
This is the recognition for China’s active participation in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, and sends a signal to Beijing to further engage in this reconstruction, as development and stability are intertwined, said Li Shaoxian from Research Institute at Ningxia University.
Yet analysts said that China will cautiously deal with the issue, not jump in the power vacuum left by the US. “We won’t interfere, we won’t try to navigate the country, we will just provide the help it needs,” said Qian.
“China proposes expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, to help the country further accelerate its peaceful reconstruction, thus reducing the risk of turmoil,” Qian said. “A chaotic Afghanistan will deal a heavy blow to neighboring countries, as well as foreign investments in Afghanistan,” said Sun.