DOHA – China does not plan to recognise the government of Afghanistan under the Taliban in the near future, as Beijing awaits confirmation of their promise not to use the country’s territory to attack other states, Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan Yue Xiaoyong told Sputnik.
Yue took part in a two-day meeting of special envoys for Afghanistan with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Qatar. It was the first meeting since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021.
“For China, although the recognition issue cannot be solved soon, but that doesn’t mean we should not have active engagement with the interim government of Afghanistan because we believe this is an issue of humanitarian assistance… The country suffered for 20 years (under) foreign occupation. We believe this is an opportunity for this country for the first time to hold the fate of the country into their own hands. We should show our respect for this country, for their sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” Yue said.
The Chinese diplomat noted that the ruling government of Afghanistan should break with terrorist groups in practice and substantiate their assurances not use their territory for attacks on other states.
Yue also believes that the recognition of the Taliban government should be decided on by each country individually, not collectively. Beijing’s priority at the current stage is not recognition, but provision of assistance to people in Afghanistan, he said.
Following the talks, Guterres told reporters that the recognition of the Taliban was not on the agenda and it was “not the right time” to meet with their representatives yet. – Bernama, May 3, 2023
