Over 410,000 Chinese netizens sign letter urging US to return Afghan assets

More than 410,000 Chinese netizens have signed a joint letter by China’s Global Times newspaper urging the United States to return assets in full to Afghans immediately and unconditionally.

This comes after US President Joe Biden moved to divert $7 billion in frozen Afghan assets for humanitarian assistance and to the families of 9/11 victims.

China has repeatedly slammed US over its actions on the Afghan assets.

“Returning other people’s money in full is not a virtue of generosity, but a matter of course. Paying back half and deducting half of other people’s money is not gifting, but stealing,” China’s UN envoy, Zhang Jun, said at a UN Security Council on Wednesday.

“This is the simplest truth. What the US did is neither legal nor reasonable nor humane,” Zhang said, calling on the relevant countries to immediately and unconditionally return these assets to Afghans in full.

The diplomat said that the US’ act is a breach of Afghanistan’s national sovereignty and property, and is a serious contravention of international law.

Afghanistan is at a crucial stage of reconstruction, which is working hard to improve its political structure, restore order in production and life, and actively conduct foreign exchanges and cooperation, Zhang said.

The international community should actively inject liquidity into Afghanistan, help the country restore its domestic market and economic system, reintegrate into regional and international economic cooperation, and embark on the path of peaceful development, Zhang said, adding any economic blockade or unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan should be stopped immediately.

He called on the international community to continue to adhere to the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned principle, enhance engagement with them through an equitable, rational and pragmatic approach.

Afghanistan can gradually achieve lasting peace and stability, eliminate the breeding ground of terrorism, and Afghan women and children achieve better development only in this way, according to Zhang.