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Afghanistan
ChinaDiplomacy

China urges US to unlock Afghanistan’s frozen assets

  • Beijing seeks to bolster regional role by hosting conference attended by Russian and American officials
  • China has yet to recognise the Taliban government, but calls for neighbours to respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty and independence

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China has called for more international support for Afghanistan. Photo: AFP
Teddy Ng
China has urged neighbouring countries to help build a stable Afghanistan and demanded that the United States returns the country’s frozen assets as Beijing seeks to bolster its role as a major influence in the region.
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In a written statement delivered to an international conference it hosted on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Afghanistan’s neighbours should put more effort into the war-torn nation, but made no mention of alleged human rights abuses by the country’s Taliban leaders.

A “peaceful, stable, developed and prosperous Afghanistan” is what Afghans aspire to, Xi said, adding this would “serve the common interests of regional countries and the international community”.

“China has all along respected Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and is committed to supporting Afghanistan’s peaceful and stable development,” Xi said.

The meeting in Anhui province was attended by officials from both Russia and the United States and analysts said it offered an opportunity to discuss the war in Ukraine.

Representatives from Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as well as Afghanistan were also present.

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