Chinese FM urges lifting economic sanctions on Afghanistan at G20 meeting

BEIJING - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday attended a video conference of the foreign ministers of the Group of 20 (G20) on the Afghan issue and urged lifting unilateral sanctions and restrictions on Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves are national assets and should belong to and be used by the Afghan people, Wang said, adding that they cannot be used as a bargaining chip to exert political pressure on the country.

The Chinese foreign minister put forward several propositions on the Afghan issue at the meeting.

He said it is necessary to increase the intensity and speed of aid to Afghanistan, especially to provide timely assistance to the most urgent needs of the Afghan people.

China has decided to provide Afghanistan with 200 million yuan (30.89 million US dollars) worth of aid materials, including the donation of the first batch of 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, Wang said, expressing the hope that countries responsible for the current situation in Afghanistan will seriously reflect on what it has done, do more to alleviate the difficulties faced by the Afghan people as soon as possible, and fulfill its due responsibilities.

Calling on G20 members to actively take practical measures to help Afghanistan ease the current liquidity pressure, Wang said international financial institutions should also provide financing support for poverty reduction in Afghanistan, sustainable development, people's livelihood and infrastructure projects.

Under the premise of respecting Afghanistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, the Afghan people should be supported to independently choose a development path that suits their national conditions, and a broad and inclusive political structure should be formed finally, Wang said.

On the issue of counter-terrorism, Wang said Afghanistan must earnestly fulfill its commitments, draw a clear line with various international terrorist forces, and resolutely crack down on them.

He added that the international community must stand for a shared future for mankind, build a united front against terrorism, oppose double standards and selective approaches to counter-terrorism, and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a breeding ground and sanctuary for terrorism again.

Wang called on the United States and NATO countries to assume the primary responsibility for resolving the immigration problem in Afghanistan. Achieving economic reconstruction in Afghanistan is a fundamental solution to preventing the emergence of complex immigration problems, he said.

Afghanistan should increase the inclusiveness and predictability of its governance. The international community should also help Afghanistan speed up its reconstruction and fundamentally reduce the emergence of a complex immigration situation, he said.

Wang said China supports the United Nations (UN) in playing its role as the main channel in maintaining peace and stability in Afghanistan and humanitarian assistance, urging the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and various UN agencies to perform their duties and responsibilities.