China urges US to avoid playing 'double standards' in Afghanistan

China has advised the United States to “positively guide” the Taliban instead of practicing “double standards” on fighting terrorism in Afghanistan.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told his American counterpart Antony Blinken that the US should take firm action to help the Taliban combat terrorism rather than acting selectively.

"While respecting the sovereignty of Afghanistan, the US should take concrete action to help Afghanistan fight terrorism and stop violence, rather than playing double standards or fighting terrorism selectively," Wang said during a phone conversation initiated by Blinken on Sunday.

Warning that the "hasty withdrawal" of US-led foreign forces from the war-torn nation could allow terrorist groups to "regroup and come back stronger," the top Chinese diplomat further emphasized that the international community should engage with the Taliban and "positively guide" them.

“The United States, in particular,” should work with the international community to provide economic and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, help the new rulers run affairs normally, maintain social stability, and stop the currency from depreciating and the cost of living from rising, Wang said as cited in a report by China’s official Xinhua news agency.  

According to the report, Wang’s remarks came in response to Blinken’s insistence that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should speak in “a clear and unified voice to show that the international community expects the Taliban to ensure the safe evacuation of foreign citizens and the Afghan people's access to humanitarian assistance, and to guarantee that Afghan territory cannot become a hotbed of terrorist attacks or a safe haven for terrorism.”

The Chinese foreign minister then pointed out that Washington is clearly aware of “the causes of the current chaotic situation in Afghanistan.”

He said that any action by the UNSC “should contribute to easing tensions instead of intensifying them, and contribute to a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan rather than a return to turmoil.”

ME