China calls on US to take responsibility for decline in conditions in Afghanistan
- Beijing stresses strong ties with Kabul and urges Washington to stop ‘terrorist forces’ expanding and promote peace and reconciliation in the region
- US military commander says the US will continue air strikes if the Taliban offensive continues
“What needs to be emphasised is that the United States suddenly announced the complete withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.
“This is the root cause of the deteriorating security situation in the country and it’s a serious threat to the peace and stability of Afghanistan and the regional national security interests.
“As the country who unleashed Afghanistan’s terrorism problem, the US should shoulder its due responsibilities, take concrete actions to ensure a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan, prevent terrorist forces from taking the opportunity to grow bigger, and maintain the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.”
He said Afghanistan was at a crucial point, facing challenges from war, chaos and governance.
“China always believes that political negotiations are the only correct way to resolve the Afghan issue.”