New rulers get China, Pak nod
Ile Taliban’s first in power saw os and confusion, y seem to already e the conditional king of Beijing, mabad, Tehran
le the world watched in lderment how desperate an civilians mobbed outd planes at the Kabul airto flee Taliban’s reign on day, China and Pakistan made their stance clear, g they are not averse to the pect of the insurgents ruling anistan. ijing said it doesn’t mind blishing friendly ties with aliban leadership as long as in conditions are met, while abad sounded even more ortive, saying the country een freed up from the influof western powers. mong other key overseas eholders, the Russians med former Afghan presiashraf Ghani fled on Sunwith a fleet of cars and a per full of cash, while Tehasserted that Afghanistan ld now see lasting peace the US has been defeated. ijing said it hopes that Taliwill deliver on its promise to re a smooth transition of anistan under an open and sive Islamic government. na respects the Afghan peoright to decide their own ny and future, and is willing ntinue to develop friendly eration with Afghanistan. a will play a constructive for peace and reconstrucin Afghanistan,” foreign stry spokesperson Hua Chug said on Monday. ased on fully respecting the nal sovereignty of Afghaniand the will of various fac, China has maintained conand communication with fghan Taliban and played a tructive role in promoting political settlement of the an issue,” she said. ijing’s future role in anistan has been at the cenf speculation since US Presijoe Biden announced in l a withdrawal of American ps from the country with a
border with China. Then a ing between Taliban leaders Chinese state councillor and gn minister Wang Yi in July d to the conjecture. ina also welcomed the Talis promise that they will
no force to use the Afghan tory to engage in acts detrital to Beijing. he Taliban have repeatedly essed their hope to develop relations with China, and they look forward to China’s cipation in the reconstrucand development of Afghan,” Hua said. “We welcome China respects the right of fghan people to independdetermine their own desand is willing to continue to lop... friendly and cooperaelations with Afghanistan.” ussia, meanwhile, said it is ntact with Taliban officials s embassy in Kabul, Presivladimir Putin’s special esentative on Afghanistan on Monday. hey are talking in Kabul. All acts are being made there at moment. The embassy is ng with this,” the represent, Zamir Kabulov, told Reu
The contact began when the Taliban deployed guards to the Russian embassy after the insurgents captured Kabul. “It went absolutely calmly and without incident. They (the Taliban) came and took it (the embassy) under guard,” he said.
Russia: Ghani fled with helicopter full of cash
Russia’s embassy in Kabul said that Ghani fled Afghanistan with four cars and a helicopter full of cash and had to leave some money behind as it would not all fit in, the RIA news agency reported. Ghani, whose current whereabouts are officially unknown, said he left Afghanistan as he wanted to “avoid bloodshed”.
Nikita Ishchenko, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Kabul, was quoted as saying by RIA, “Four cars were full of money, they tried to stuff another part of the money into a helicopter, but not all of it fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac.” Ischenko confirmed his comments to Reuters, citing “witnesses” as the source of his information.
Afghans broke ‘shackles of slavery’, says PM Khan
Pakistan PM Imran Khan seemed to endorse the Taliban, saying Afghanistan has broken the “shackles of slavery”. “When you adopt someone’s culture, you believe it to be superior and you end up becoming a slave to it,” Khan said, adding that it creates a system of mental slaves.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a firm critic of US foreign policy, said America’s “military failure” in Afghanistan offered an opportunity to establish lasting peace. “America’s military defeat... must become an opportunity to restore life, security and durable peace in Afghanistan,” Raisi said, reportedly inviting all groups to reach an agreement.