Concerns aired over Afghanistan
Watch on US actions needed to ensure pledges aren’t evaded, Wang Yi says
China has called on members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to work to prevent the United States from shirking its responsibilities to countries in the region arising from Washington’s policy actions.
In a special meeting on Afghanistan, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the SCO members should prompt the US to “fulfill its pledges, increase dedication to the issue, and should beware of the plot to sabotage regional security through Afghanistan’s turmoil”.
Wang conveyed Beijing’s position at a special meeting of SCO foreign ministers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Wednesday.
Representatives of the other SCO members voiced concerns over the turmoil triggered by the US military’s retreat from Afghanistan, and they stated the need to be alert against any resurgence in terrorism in the war-torn country.
The SCO representatives called for steadfast progress to be made toward a political settlement of the Afghan conflict.
They also voiced support for a return to peace in the country and efforts to promote economic growth. The meeting heard calls for a crackdown on terrorism and the “three evil forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism.
The SCO members should prevent the “three evil forces” from penetrating and spreading into Afghanistan’s neighborhood, step up mediation efforts for an early reconciliation, and support the country’s self-reliance, independence and sustained development, Wang said.
China is willing to host negotiations at an appropriate time attended by dignitaries from within the Afghan nation, Wang added.
In a commentary on Sunday, Xinhua News Agency said the US leaves Afghanistan “nothing but trash”, and Taliban militants “have been more active since the withdrawal of the US troops at the beginning of May”.
At a joint news conference with Tajikistan’s Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin on Tuesday, Wang was asked about Washington’s recently announced plan to complete its military operation in Afghanistan on Aug 31.
When the US army withdraws from Afghanistan, Washington should reflect on its role in the country and “consider how to fulfill its due obligations for the reconciliation and reconstruction of Afghanistan”, Wang said.
He said the Afghan government “deserves a fair evaluation” because it has done much work for a long time to maintain national unity, social stability and improve people’s livelihoods.
‘Draw a clear line’
Wang called on the Taliban in Afghanistan to “draw a clear line with all terrorist forces” and return to the mainstream of Afghan politics in a manner that shows its responsibility to the Afghan people.
The Taliban, with its control of a large armed force in Afghanistan, “should be aware of the responsibility it bears to the country and the nation”, Wang said.
In Turkmenistan, on the first leg of Wang’s trip, the country’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov told Wang on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s neighbors should play a greater role in the Afghanistan issue, and his country is ready to enhance communication and coordination with China to this end.
During Wang’s talks with Muhriddin later on Tuesday, China and Tajikistan agreed to coordinate responses to the changing situation in Afghanistan, stabilize the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border, fight terrorism and prevent external forces from stirring up the Central Asia region.
Wang named three tasks of top priority, the first of which is to prevent the warfare in Afghanistan from expanding and to avert a fullscale civil war.
Internal negotiations within the Afghan nation should be restarted as soon as possible to achieve a political reconciliation, he said.
Finally, all kinds of terrorist forces should be prevented from taking advantage of the situation to grow significantly in Afghanistan, and the country should not become a place for terrorists to gather again, Wang added.
China “always respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan”, and it honors its principle of noninterference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, Wang said.