China: "Taleban must break ties with terrorist groups... Aim to build an open and inclusive regime"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] China has made it clear that the Taliban, which has taken control of Afghanistan, must fulfill its promise to sever ties with terrorist organizations.

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing on the 18th, "China is paying close attention to the Taliban's attitude." He added, "We hope the Taliban will firmly crack down on various terrorist organizations, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), and thoroughly keep the promise not to allow any forces to use Afghan territory to threaten the security of neighboring countries."

This referred to the statement made by the Taliban's second-in-command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, during his visit to Tianjin, China last month, where he met with Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, and said, "No forces will be allowed to use Afghan territory to harm China."

China is concerned about the possibility that ETIM, an independence movement of the Uyghur ethnic group in Xinjiang, might expand its influence by leveraging the Sunni Taliban.

Spokesperson Zhao further addressed the Taliban, saying, "We hope the Taliban and various Afghan factions will build an open and inclusive government through dialogue and negotiation," and "They should implement moderate domestic and foreign policies and ensure the safety of foreign organizations and foreigners within Afghanistan." He also stated, "China will support the reconstruction of peace in Afghanistan together with the international community and help Afghanistan achieve lasting peace and stability."

Meanwhile, when asked whether China would recognize the Taliban as the new government of Afghanistan, Zhao avoided a direct answer, saying, "We hope Afghanistan will establish an open and inclusive government, and the issue of diplomatic recognition is a matter for later."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.