All parties should establish contact with Taliban and guide it actively: China to US

Beijing

China has told the US that the Afghanistan situation hasundergone fundamental changes and it is necessary for all parties to makecontact with the Taliban and guide it actively , reiterating that America'stroop withdrawal may provide an opportunity for the resurgence of terroristgroups.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his telephonic conversation with USSecretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday, discussed the deterioratingsituation in Afghanistan amidst chaotic airlifts of Afghan civilians anddiplomats by the US and NATO countries before the August 31 deadline. Wang andBlinken also discussed bilateral ties which were riddled with tensions over ahost of issues.

The Chinese Foreign Minister said the situation in Afghanistan has undergonefundamental changes and it is necessary for all parties to make contact withthe Taliban and guide it actively , state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The US, in particular, needs to work with the international community toprovide Afghanistan with urgently-needed economic, livelihood and humanitarianassistance, help the new Afghan political structure maintain normal operationof government institutions, maintain social security and stability, curbcurrency depreciation and inflation and embark on the journey of peacefulreconstruction at an early date, Wang said.

Facts have proved again that the Afghanistan war never achieved the goal ofeliminating terrorist forces in Afghanistan and the hasty withdrawal of the USand NATO troops is likely to offer an opportunity to various terrorist groupsin Afghanistan to regroup, Wang told Blinken.

Wang urged the US to take concrete actions to help Afghanistan combat terrorismand violence on the premise of respecting its sovereignty and independence,instead of practicing double standards or fighting terrorism selectively.

On China-US relations, The Chinese Foreign Minister said that dialogue isbetter than confrontation and cooperation is better than conflict, and that theChinese side will consider how to engage with Washington based on its attitudetowards Beijing.

If the US side also hopes to bring bilateral relations back on the right track,it should stop blindly smearing and attacking China, and stop underminingChina's sovereignty, security and development interests, Wang added.

Their conversation followed the first round of high-level military talks afterUS President Joe Biden came to power in January during which the two sidesdiscussed the rapidly-evolving situation.

China, along with Russia and Pakistan, has kept its Embassy in Kabul open.

Wang Yu, Chinese Ambassador in Afghanistan, held first diplomatic talks withthe Taliban officials recently.

China, which is closely coordinating with its all-weather ally Pakistan toevolve its Afghanistan policy following the withdrawal of troops by the US, hasheld two rounds of talks with the Taliban.

Last month, Beijing hosted a Taliban delegation headed by its senior leaderMullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

In his talks with Baradar, Foreign Minister Wang asked the Taliban to breakaway from the terrorist groups and not allow the Uygur militant group fromXinjiang -- the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) -- to operate fromAfghanistan.

After the Taliban returned to power, China has asked it to build an open andinclusive political structure through consultation, implement moderate andprudent domestic and foreign policies, thoroughly dissociate from all terroristgroups and maintain friendly relations with the rest of the world, especiallyneighbouring countries.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the USwas set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war. Thisforced Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country to the UAE.

The Taliban insurgents have stormed across Afghanistan, capturing all majorcities in a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped bythe US and its allies melted away.

Thousands of Afghan nationals and foreigners are fleeing the country to escapethe new Taliban regime and to seek asylum in different nations, including theUS and many European nations, resulting in total chaos at Kabul airport anddeaths.