China reminds US of its obligations to Afghanistan as deadline for withdrawal looms
- Taliban needs guidance and support to establish governance norms and embark on peaceful reconstruction, senior Beijing diplomats say
- The US needs to ‘learn its lesson’ after its 20 years of military intervention in the war-torn country ends in chaos
“The United States needs to work with the international community to provide Afghanistan with urgently needed economic, livelihood, and humanitarian aid to help the new regime maintain the normal operation of government institutions, maintain public security and stability, curb currency depreciation and price increases, and embark on the road of peaceful reconstruction as soon as possible,” Wang said, according to a foreign ministry statement.
“The United States is clear about the cause of the current chaos in Afghanistan. If the United Nations Security Council wants to take any action, it should help alleviate rather than intensify conflicts, and help the situation in Afghanistan to transition smoothly instead of plunging again into unrest.”
The two diplomats were speaking after last week’s suicide bombings which killed about 170 people. Taliban forces sealed off Kabul’s airport on Saturday to most of those hoping to be evacuated, while the US responded with air strikes against suspected members of Isis-K, an Afghanistan branch of the extremist Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for the bombings.
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Fall of Kabul: Asian countries’ response to Afghan refugees
The US released a brief readout of Blinken’s phone call with Wang, saying the two diplomats spoke about the importance of the international community holding the Taliban accountable for the public commitments they have made regarding the safe passage and freedom to travel for Afghans and foreign nationals.