-President Xi stresses enhanced coordination with Russia in phone call with Putin
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday reiterated China’s respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and its non-interference approach during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing that China is willing to enhance coordination with Russia and the international community to “encourage” all Afghan parties to form an inclusive political structure, and sever ties with all terrorist groups.
The Chinese President’s remarks came after senior Chinese officials and diplomats have stressed the need for a political settlement on the issue, condemned the US’ wanton sanctions on Afghanistan, and called on the international community to help the nation enhance its ability to achieve self-development.
Chinese observers believe Xi and Putin’s conversation with a focus on the Afghan issue was a “strategic” exchange, which indicated China and Russia stand together in helping reconstruct peace, stability and development in Afghanistan on the basis of respecting the will and choice of the Afghan people.
In a phone conversation on Wednesday with his Russian counterpart, Xi stressed that China respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, insists on not interfering in its domestic affairs, and has always played a constructive role in promoting a political solution to the Afghan issue.
Xi said that China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the broader international community including Russia on the Afghan issue, and called for concerted efforts to encourage all factions in Afghanistan to build an open and inclusive political structure through consultation, implement moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, thoroughly dissociate from all terrorist groups, and maintain friendly relations with the rest of the world, especially neighboring countries. Putin said that the current changes in the Afghan situation showed that outside forces’ forcibly promoting its political models did not work in some countries and will only bring destruction and disaster to these countries. Russia and China share similar stances on the Afghan issue.
Russia is willing to closely communicate with China and actively participate in a multilateral mechanism on the Afghan issue to promote a peaceful transition, crack down on terrorism, cut off drug smuggling, prevent the spillover of security risks from Afghanistan, resist interference and destruction from outside forces and safeguard regional stability, Putin said.
Yang Jin, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told that the exchange between top leaders of China and Russia again showed that the two major powers are acting as responsible countries in helping address the chaos in Afghanistan and maintain the international order.
–The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
