Beijing: Spokesman of Taliban Suhail Shaheen in an interview with GGTN on Thursday said that China can play a major role in the development of Afghanistan.
Earlier, China said it is in “contact and communication” with the Taliban and called for an “objective judgement” on their actions after it seized power in Afghanistan, saying the militant group appears to be more “clear headed and rational” and hoped that it will deliver on its promises, including protection of women’s rights.
China maintains contact and communication with the Afghan Taliban and other parties on the basis of full respect for the sovereignty of Afghanistan and the will of all parties, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in updated comments on Foreign Ministry website.
Will China extend diplomatic recognition of Taliban in Afghanistan?
On Wednesday, China said it will decide on extending diplomatic recognition to the Taliban in Afghanistan only after the formation of the government in the country, which it hoped would be “open, inclusive and broadly representative”.
In her media briefing on Thursday, Hua came up with Beijing’s positive assessment of the Taliban in what was seen here as a build-up towards recognising the Taliban government when it is formed.
Referring to statements by the Taliban leaders and spokesman assurances, Hua said, we have also noticed that some political figures of Russia and other countries and many international media have recognised Afghan Taliban’s behaviours after it entered Kabul, believing that they have been good, positive and pragmatic actions.
Taliban will not repeat history: China
Although the Afghan situation is not fully clear yet, they believe the Afghan Taliban will not repeat history, and the Afghan Taliban today is more clear-headed and rational than it was in power last time, she said.
In fact, the rapid evolution of the situation in Afghanistan also reveals how the outside world lacked objective judgment on the local situation and accurate understanding of the public opinion there. In this respect, some western countries in particular should learn some lessons, she said.
We encourage and hope the Afghan Taliban can follow through its positive statements, unite with all parties and ethnic groups in Afghanistan, establish a broadly-based, inclusive political framework that fits the national conditions and wins public support through dialogue and consultation as soon as possible , she said.
She also hoped the Taliban will adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies.
It is expected that the Afghan Taliban can contain all kinds of terrorist and criminal acts and ensure a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan to take the long-suffering Afghans away from wars and chaos as soon as possible and build lasting peace , she said.
In this process, the international community should encourage and support solidarity and cooperation of all parties and ethnic groups in Afghanistan to open a new chapter in Afghan history, she said.
About the trust deficit about Taliban statements, Hua said, I noticed that some people have been saying they don’t trust the Afghan Taliban .
I want to say that nothing stays unchanged.. We need to not only listen to what they say, but also look at what they do. If we do not keep pace with the times, but stick to a fixed mind-set and ignore the development of the situation, we will never reach a conclusion that is in line with reality, she said.
Locals in Afghanistan left with little cash in hand
Meanwhile, the plight of the people of Afghanistan has multiplied as they are left with little money in their hands. Banks have also gone dry with the locals withdrawing “whatever cash” was available. Besides, the devaluation of the currency of Afghanistan has led to steep price hikes and massive supply constraints.
For many essential food items prices have risen over 10-20 times in just the last few days. Some shopkeepers are charging even more.
An analyst said that many have had to resort to a “barter system” to be able to procure the daily essentials.
Needless to say, the poor will be the worst impacted.
With inputs from agencies