Afghanistan needs international support: China Daily editorial

The meeting between State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting deputy prime minister of the Taliban's interim government, in Doha on Monday, marks China's first high-level exchange with the new regime.

During the meeting, Wang expressed China's willingness to continue to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and work with the international community to help alleviate its temporary difficulties and realize economic reconstruction and independent development.

As a country that is facing formidable challenges and difficulties after the rushed withdrawal of the United States in August, Afghanistan is in desperate need of support to help it embark on a road of peaceful development and stability.

Afghanistan is facing many challenges, including a humanitarian crisis, economic chaos, terrorist threats and governance difficulties. According to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Program, humanitarian needs are reaching record levels in Afghanistan, with more than half of the people living in the country facing acute hunger in the coming months.

Under such circumstances, the United States and the West as a whole should lift the sanctions they have imposed on the Taliban and join other members of the international community in engaging with the new Afghan regime in a rational and pragmatic manner to provide assistance, help the country out of its current difficulties and advance national reconciliation and reconstruction.

The plight of the Afghan people today owes much to the actions of the US-led West. The US and its allies should therefore extend a helping hand to Afghanistan in a sincere way. Washington should stop using Afghanistan as a pawn for its geopolitical competition in the region and do some serious soul-searching about the wisdom of its interventionism.

As a close neighbor of Afghanistan, China has legitimate concerns over the future direction of the Asian country. It caters to China's interest to engage with the Taliban and encourage it to adopt a more moderate, inclusive and prudent social policy and keep terrorism away from the country.

It is hoped the Taliban will demonstrate openness and tolerance, unite all ethnic groups and factions in Afghanistan to work together for peaceful reconstruction, and effectively protect the rights and interests of women and children.

The Taliban should know the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, an international terrorist organization listed by the UN Security Council, not only poses a real threat to China's national security and territorial integrity, but also jeopardizes the long-term stability of Afghanistan.

Through making a clean break with the ETIM and other terrorist organizations, and taking effective measures to resolutely crack down on them, the Afghan Taliban will be able to gain more international support and recognition.