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China calls for ethnic inclusion and moderate Islamic policy in ‘new’ govt
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that China feels it is necessary for Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, including Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, to fully support the Afghan peace process and that Afghanistan should ensure all ethnic groups and parties fully participate in the future political lineup.
In a statement issued ahead of a foreign ministers meeting of Central Asian countries, Wang said China also hopes a new government follows a “moderate Muslim policy”.
He also said Beijing “believes that foreign troops should withdraw from Afghanistan in an orderly and responsible manner to prevent any hasty action from adversely affecting and seriously interfering with the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.”
Wang stated that it is necessary for neighboring countries of Afghanistan, including Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, to coordinate their positions in a timely manner, speak with one voice, and fully support the Afghan peace process.
China put forward the following propositions:
The peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan should firstly implement the principle of “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned”. This is in line with the requirements of UN Security Council’s relevant resolutions and is the political prerequisite for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Second, Afghanistan should form inclusive political arrangements to make sure that all ethnic groups and parties could participate in political life in the future and enjoy equal political rights. This is the right direction to achieve peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Third, Afghan national governance structure in the future should conform to the country’s unique national conditions and development needs, and should not simply copy foreign models, so as to avoid inadaptation and new turbulence and chaos. This is a realistic choice to achieve peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Wang stated that regional countries and the international community hope that the future Afghan government implements a moderate Islamic policy and avoids extremist tendencies; that it opposes all forms of terrorism and does not allow the resurgence of terrorist forces in Afghanistan.
He also said regional countries hope Afghanistan develops good relations with its neighbors and promotes regional peace and stability.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that the second China + Central Asia (C+C5) foreign ministers meeting will be held in Xi’an, the capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province on Wednesday.
On Monday, foreign minister spokesperson Hua Chunying confirmed that Wang will host Wednesday’s meeting, which will be attended by foreign ministers from five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This is the second China + Central Asia (C+C5) foreign ministers meeting and it is being held in Xi’an, the capital city of northwest China’s Shaanxi province.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials have once again called on the United Nations to remove the names of IEA members who are on the UN blacklist, and said the international community should engage with the group instead of putting pressure on it.
The UN Security Council failed to reach an agreement to extend travel exemptions, allowing 13 Islamic Emirate officials to travel abroad, which expired in August 2021.
“Some 20 to 25 Islamic Emirate officials are on the UN blacklist and have been sanctioned. Some of them have died, and a few are working with the caretaker government,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the IEA’s spokesman.
According to Mujahid, adding pressure and force will not bear results. The war of the past 20 years has proven that the people of Afghanistan will not surrender to pressure. Instead, engagement and negotiations are ideal options to reach a comprehensive conclusion, he added.
In addition, inclusion of the Islamic Emirate officials on the UN blacklist violates the Doha Agreement, Mujahid said.
The Doha Agreement is a peace deal between the US and the IEA aimed at restoring peace in Afghanistan. The agreement was signed in Doha in 2020, finalizing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan contingent on IEA security assurance that Afghan soil will not be used against the US by al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan on Monday announced that Japan has contributed $21 million for life-saving vaccines for mothers and children, and water and sanitation facilities in schools.
With this funding, UNICEF will provide clean water for 30,000 people in four provinces, and vaccines for 18.3 million mothers and children across Afghanistan.
Amid the devastating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the government of Japan has donated to UNICEF $18 million in support of essential vaccines for over 18 million mothers and children, and $3.6 million for water and sanitation facilities in public schools.
The vaccines are for measles, rotavirus, tetanus and diphtheria, polio, hepatitis B and others. These funds will also enable UNICEF to reach around 10 million children with oral polio vaccines during national vaccination campaigns in 2023.
“This support from the Japanese government will not only help to give mothers and children the immunity boost they need to stay healthy, but it will also improve sanitation and hygiene in schools,” said Rushnan Murtaza, UNICEF Afghanistan Deputy Representative.
“Complementing our past support to Afghanistan in health, nutrition and education, we hope these contributions will create cleaner, safer learning environments and communities for children and their families,” says Takashi Okada, Ambassador of Japan to Afghanistan.
Water and sanitation projects will be implemented in Ghor, Uruzgan, Zabul and Pakitika which are among the most deprived provinces in Afghanistan, according to UNICEF officials.
At least six civilians were killed and several others, including three Islamic Emirate forces, were wounded in a suicide bombing near a security checkpoint in Malik Azghar Square in Kabul, a spokesman for the Kabul security department, Khalid Zadran said.
The Emergency NGO hospital in Kabul meanwhile said on Twitter that it received 12 injured people, including a child from the blast that happened near the Foreign Ministry on Monday afternoon.
The hospital said soon after the explosion that two bodies had also been taken to the hospital.
So far, no group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack.
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