China, Afghanistan, Pakistan seek ‘orderly’ foreign troop exit

Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan have called for a responsible withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Afghanistan in order to prevent what they say is a potential “terrorist resurgence” in Afghanistan.

Following the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Vice Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, Afghan, Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministry officials issued a statement and said the “three sides agreed to continue to strengthen counter-terrorism and security cooperation, combat the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, and all other terrorist forces and networks posing threats to our common security.”

The third round of talks was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab, and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood.

Discussions not only centered on security issues but also on matters around the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the statement, the three sides agreed to further the cooperation against COVID-19, to call on the international community to jointly prevent discrimination and stigma, to support the World Health Organization’s leading role in coordinating global COVID-19 response, to promote international cooperation on joint prevention and control, and to safeguard public health security in the region and beyond.

The statement also indicated that China and Pakistan “appreciated the efforts by the Afghanistan government and relevant parties in expediting the exchange of the (Taliban) prisoners to pave the way for the start of the Intra-Afghan Negotiations and call for violence reduction and humanitarian ceasefire.

“China and Pakistan will enhance cooperation with the Afghan government in support of the Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace reconciliation process, the launch of Intra-Afghan Negotiations at an early date, the preservation of the gains since 2001, and (China and Pakistan) looked forward to the early restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan,” read the statement.

It was also noted that China will continue to play a constructive role in improving Afghanistan-Pakistan relations.

On the issue of troop withdrawal, the three sides “urged for an orderly, responsible and condition-based withdrawal of the foreign troops from Afghanistan to avoid potential terrorist resurgence.”