Chinese envoy calls for dialogue in Afghanistan

A Chinese envoy has called for political dialogue in Afghanistan as well as international efforts to boost the country’s defense capacity, governance and its integration into regional development frameworks.

“Political dialogue is the only viable solution to the question of Afghanistan,” Wu Haitao, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told an open meeting of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan on Monday.

“All actors in Afghanistan should put the country’s longterm interests and people’s welfare first and actively participate in the reconciliation process. The international community should continue to promote the realization of a broad, inclusive political settlement with Afghan leadership and Afghan ownership,” Wu said.

The international community should engage with all parties concerned in Afghanistan for the early launch of peace talks, he noted.

All political actors in Afghanistan must achieve unity and resolve their difference through dialogue and consultations, he said, adding that the international community must respect the Afghan people’s will to choose their political system and development path.

“Maintaining peace and stability is the basis for Afghanistan’s reconstruction and economic development,” he further remarked.

The international community should continue to boost the capacity of the Afghan security forces and the country’s ability to defend itself so that Afghanistan can effectively respond to security threats such as terrorism, transnational crime and drug trafficking, Wu said.

An Afghan health worker vaccinates a child during a polio campaign in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. Afghanistan is one of three nations in the world, along with Pakistan and Nigeria, where the polio virus continues to be endemic.