The Taliban on Tuesday announced the first members of its new interim government. Some senior members of the Taliban have been appointed to key positions. Mullah Hassan Akhund was named prime minister of Afghanistan’s caretaker government. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who visited Tianjin in late July, was named acting deputy prime minister. Sarajuddin Haqqani, who the FBI has a $10 million bounty on, was named the acting interior minister. Some Western media said it does not show an inclusive leadership as the Taliban promised. But the Taliban said they are merely the first members of its new interim government. Whether there will be other political forces serving as ministers in non-security areas will be the next focus. The Taliban have repeatedly expressed its trust in China in recent days and hope China will participate in Afghanistan’s reconstruction, but it has also offered olive branches to the US and the West. Taliban’s willingness to rebuild domestic economy and its own image has been clear to the world. But the Taliban regime may have a long way to go before it can live up to Western standards on issues such as human rights and win US support and even diplomatic recognition. As China faces a comprehensive test of how to deal with the Taliban, our Afghan policy will be a focus of international attention. The Chinese people must understand first that it is to China’s advantage that the Taliban have made a gesture of goodwill. This is the result of China’s insistence on prudent and steady foreign policy as well as its powerful national strength. The hostility against the Taliban from the US should not create a diversion in our policy toward Afghanistan. It is in China’s national interests to proactively influence Afghanistan’s reconstruction route to promote peace in that country, firmly keep it away from terrorism, and make it adopt a moderate, inclusive, and prudent social policy. However, such an influence will not be gained by intervention. Instead, we should let the interests drive us and ensure that we don’t fall into any trap. Mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation must be the general logic of China-Afghanistan relations. The US and other Western media will continue to make noise about the relationship between Beijing and Kabul. The mentality behind them is quite complex. The US suffered a major defeat in Afghanistan, so it is ashamed, annoyed, and jealous of China. It can be said that Washington still hasn’t had a clear idea of how to deal with Kabul in future. There have been sensational discussions in the US about China filling the “vacuum” left by the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. On the one hand, they worry if China could expand its influence in Afghanistan. On the other hand, they hope that Afghanistan will be the “graveyard of China.” Recently, they have been mentioning the “Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement” a lot.
–The Daily Mail-Global Times News Exchange Item
