Taliban has ‘a long way to go’ to effectively govern Afghanistan, Chinese scholar says
- Wang Duanyong tells state tabloid the Islamist group appears to have changed and has taken on ex-government personnel and professionals but it’s ‘clearly not enough’
- He spent nearly a month in the country observing how the humanitarian and economic crisis is being handled and looking at investment potential
“Although the Taliban have absorbed some former government personnel and recruited some professionals, it is clearly not enough,” Wang Duanyong, an associate professor in international relations at Shanghai International Studies University, told state tabloid Global Times on Monday.
“The current regime clearly has quite a long way to go before it can achieve the level of professionalism required for full and effective state management and economic construction.”
Wang was among a group of Chinese academics who just returned from nearly a month in Afghanistan to observe how a deep humanitarian and economic crisis is being handled and to look at the potential for Chinese investment, according to the report. The group visited the major cities of Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Bamyan, as well as industrial parks and mining sites.
The Taliban, which regained power in August after the withdrawal of US and Nato troops, is facing huge challenges in reconstructing the country. Reports have estimated that nearly 23 million people lack adequate food supplies, and the US has frozen around US$9 billion in Afghan assets.