A series of measures have been taken by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to grow the economy, eliminate corruption, ban drug cultivation and improve people’s wellbeing and public order, which has seen effective results, China’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

Mao Ning, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a press conference that IEA has been committed to the peaceful reconstruction and independent development of Afghanistan and actively engaged in exchanges and cooperation with other countries.

She, however, said that Afghanistan still faces a number of challenges and the international community still has many concerns over the IEA’s governance approach.

“We hope that the Afghan interim government (IEA) will take more solid steps in the direction that serves the interests of the Afghan people and meets the expectation of the international community, so as to gain more understanding, trust and support from the rest of the world,” she said.

Although no country in the world, including China, has yet recognized the IEA, Beijing has diplomatic and economic relations with Kabul.

The Islamic Emirate appreciates China for understanding the situation in Afghanistan and acknowledging the achievements of the Islamic Emirate in the past two years and emphasizes that it respects the legitimate demands of the world and will address the shortcomings that exist.

“The Islamic Emirate respects the legitimate demands of the countries and the advice of the countries, and the shortcomings that exist will be addressed. The Islamic Emirate continues to seek to boost its ties with countries in the fields of economy and diplomacy,” Zabihullah Mujahid, IEA’s spokesman, said.