Zhang Jun, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, addresses a plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly on the situation in Afghanistan, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Nov. 27, 2019. Zhang Jun on Wednesday elaborated China's position on Afghanistan and introduced its efforts to help Afghanistan advance peace and reconciliation, strengthen security capacity building and promote economic and social development. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday elaborated his country's position on Afghanistan and introduced its efforts to help Afghanistan advance peace and reconciliation, strengthen security capacity building and promote economic and social development.
Peace and stability of Afghanistan concerns the vital interests of the Afghan people and also the security, stability, development and prosperity of the region. The international community should continue to provide support and assistance to Afghanistan, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told a plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly.
China supports promoting an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned inclusive political process. China calls on the United States and the Taliban to continue negotiation, and calls on the Afghan parties, including the Taliban, to seize the historic opportunities and launch intra-Afghan negotiation to reach a political framework acceptable to all parties at an early date, he said.
China will continue to promote peace talks through various channels, such as the contact group between the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Afghanistan, China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers Dialogue and China-U.S.-Russia-Pakistan Consultation on Afghanistan, to help realize inclusive reconciliation, said the ambassador.
Zhang said China supports the efforts of relevant Afghan institutions in the follow-up of the presidential election to ensure the smooth transfer of power. China believes that the Afghan electoral institutions will release the election results as soon as possible. China calls on the political parties in Afghanistan to strengthen unity and resolve differences through dialogue. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan should help the country in this regard.
China condemns the recent attack against UN forces, supports Afghanistan in strengthening security capacity building, and calls on foreign forces to ensure orderly and responsible withdrawal, he said.
The international community should provide training, funding and technical support to the Afghan National Security Forces. China is helping Afghanistan in strengthening counterterrorism capacity building through the bilateral channel and supports Afghanistan's counterterrorism efforts through the SCO as well as the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Tajikistan Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism, said Zhang.
He said China supports Afghan efforts to pursue economic and social development and improve livelihood. The international community should continue to pay attention to and vigorously help the efforts of the Afghan government and people to improve the humanitarian situation and promote development.
It is important to help Afghanistan leverage its own strengths to eliminate poverty at an early date through engaging in regional cooperation and connectivity, overcome challenges of natural disasters and achieve stability and prosperity, he said.
China is working with Afghanistan on the development of "Belt and Road" through implementing the bilateral memorandum of understanding to help enhance Afghanistan's trade links with the region, its infrastructure development, connectivity and economic and social development, he said.
China hopes that relevant countries will boost regional economic cooperation and work together to build connectivity partnerships, promote regional peace and stability through development, and help Afghanistan integrate into regional development in an effort to build a community with a shared future for mankind, Zhang said.
