China says the international community should support chances for positive developments in Afghanistan rather than impose sanctions on the Taliban.
“The international community should encourage and promote the development of the situation in Afghanistan in a positive direction, support peaceful reconstruction, improve the well-being of the people and enhance its capacity for independent development,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters at a daily briefing on Tuesday.
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“Imposing sanctions and pressure at every turn cannot solve the problem and will only be counterproductive,” Wang said.
China, which shares a narrow border with Afghanistan, has seized on the ugly scenes at Kabul airport to redouble its harsh criticism of U.S. actions in the country, particularly its attempt to install a Western-style democracy. Beijing has kept open its embassy in Kabul and sought to maintain friendly relations with the Taliban.
Some countries will likely calculate they have to work with the Taliban (https://t.co/b0XCtFZvOH) while others (ASEAN, China) have begun to confer diplomatic recognition to the Myanmar military. The US will almost certainly oppose doing so & rely on sanctions & isolation.
— Hunter Marston (@hmarston4) August 19, 2021
🇨🇳 China has responded to the 🇬🇧 proposal to place sanctions in the Taliban.
“Imposing sanctions and pressure at every turn cannot solve the problem and will only be counterproductive.”
The 🇺🇳 United Nations also warned sanctions harm civilians more than those intended.
— Alex Tiffin (@RespectIsVital) August 24, 2021
Pakistan’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that an inclusive political settlement is the best way forward for peace and stability in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. Pakistan fully supports efforts in that direction, he added.
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According to a foreign ministry statement, Shah Mahmood Qureshi made the remarks in a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, about the situation in Afghanistan.
The statement says Qureshi told Lavrov that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was of critical importance for Pakistan and the region. It said Qureshi informed Lavrov about Pakistan’s outreach to regional countries for consultations on the challenges arising out of developments in Afghanistan.
The statement quoted Qureshi as also saying that Pakistan is facilitating the evacuation of foreigners stranded in Afghanistan. Qureshi is expected to leave for Uzbekistan later Tuesday on a visit during which he will also travel to Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iran to discuss Afghan developments.
https://twitter.com/FMPublicDiploPK/status/1429113578511114243
That’s the key question. The existing sanctions don’t automatically apply to Taliban-dominated gov. As soon as a new gov is formed, it should be sanction-free unless new sanctions are imposed. Imo, it depends what kind of gov it is but time is running out for Afghan economy.
— Haroun Rahimi (@harounrahimi) August 24, 2021
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Via APP with inputs from GVS