China hopes Taliban will establish 'open, inclusive' Islamic govt as committed

Beijing: China on Monday expressed hope that the Taliban will stand by its commitment of establishing an “open and inclusive” Islamic government in Afghanistan and will ensure a peaceful transition of power without violence and terrorism.

Commenting for the first time on the sudden and rapid takeover of the Afghanistan government by the Taliban insurgents, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in a media briefing here expressed hope that the Taliban will abide by its commitment to ensure a peaceful transition of power, taking full responsibility for the safety of Afghan citizens and foreign diplomatic missions.

Taliban insurgents swept Kabul on Sunday after the US-backed Afghan government collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing an unprecedented end to a two-decade campaign in which the US and its allies had tried to transform the war-ravaged nation.

While most of the embassies in Kabul including that of the US, India and EU countries rushed to evacuate its diplomatic staff, Hua said the Chinese Embassy is up



and running with its ambassador and some staff.

However, most of the Chinese nationals have already been evacuated from Afghanistan, she said.

“The situation in Afghanistan has experienced major changes. We respect Afghanistan's people's will and choice,” Hua said.

The war in Afghanistan has lasted over 40 years. To stop the war and realise peace is the wish of the 30 million Afghan people and the aspiration of the international community and regional countries, she said.

“We noticed the statement from Afghan Taliban yesterday (Sunday) saying that the war is over and they will start consultation on establishment of an open and inclusive Islamic government and take the responsibility of safety of Afghan citizens and foreign diplomatic corps,” the spokesperson said.

“We hope this will be implemented to ensure a peaceful transition, stop violence and terrorism, and make sure people are free from war and build their new home,” Hua said.