China to maintain communication with new Afghan government

China has expressed readiness to maintain communication with the leaders of the new interim government in Afghanistan, calling its establishment a “necessary step” to restore order in the war-ravaged country.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a regular press briefing in the capital, Beijing, on Wednesday, a day after the Taliban announced the formation of a caretaker government in Afghanistan.

"China attaches great importance to the Taliban's announcement about the creation of an interim government. This put an end to over three weeks of anarchy in Afghanistan and was a necessary step for the restoration of order and for the post-war reconstruction of the country", Wang said when asked if China would recognize the new government.

He added that China respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.

This comes as US President Joe Biden said earlier in the day that China will have issues dealing with the Taliban following the complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, adding that he is certain that Beijing as well as Afghanistan’s neighbors would try to work out an arrangement with the group. 

"China has a real problem with the Taliban. So they're going to try to work out some arrangement with the Taliban, I'm sure. As does Pakistan, as does Russia, as does Iran. They're all trying to figure out what do they do now," Biden said.

So far, China has not officially recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan's new rulers, but has said the world should guide and support the country as it transitions to a new government instead of putting more pressure on it.

On Tuesday, the Taliban named the leaders of the interim government, three weeks after their takeover and a power vacuum in Afghanistan. They announced that the new cabinet will start its work immediately.

The formation of the interim Afghan government came while rallies were held across the capital, Kabul, with Afghan protesters — most of them women — taking to the streets to show their defiance against the Taliban that swept to power last month.

Since the Taliban took power on August 15, Afghans have staged small demonstrations in different cities to express their protest against the group's return to power, after 20 years of US occupation.

The Taliban have pledged to rule differently compared to their first stint in power, when girls and women were banned from education. Women, they say, will be allowed to attend university, but there would be a ban on mixed classes under their rule.

The new rulers also promised an "inclusive" government that represents Afghanistan’s complex ethnic makeup.

SS