China urges objective stance over IEA

A Chinese official on Wednesday urged the international community to take an “objective stance” over the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), saying social order in the country is gradually being restored.

In a regular press briefing, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, also acknowledged that Afghanistan right now is at a crucial period transitioning from chaos to order with terrorist threats yet to be removed, CGTN reported.

Wang also called on the international community to remain engaged with the IEA and step up humanitarian and development assistance to the country, while stressing the preservation of the basic rights of all Afghan people, specifically all ethnic group members, women and children in the country.

Another Chinese official, Geng Shuang, on Tuesday echoed the same sentiment.

He said it is not constructive to keep accusing or pressuring the IEA or even to instrumentalize the issue of travel ban exemptions as a bargaining chip for negotiations. Such a move will only make the door for dialogue narrower and deepen confrontation and divergences, Geng, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.

The international community should make it a top priority to help Afghanistan alleviate its humanitarian crisis and stabilize the economy, and should not politicize humanitarian and economic issues, nor link humanitarian aid and economic development with other political issues, said Geng, adding that Afghanistan’s frozen assets should be used for the improvement of Afghans’ life and economic reconstruction.

“We hope that the Afghan Taliban (IEA) will genuinely fulfill their commitments, completely cut off their ties with all terrorist groups, and work together with the international community to resolutely combat the Islamic State (ISIS), the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and other terrorist groups, so as to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hub for terrorism again,” said Geng.