Wang Yi

Noting the Taliban might announce the formation of a new government in the coming days, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he hopes that the new government will be open and inclusive, and establish and develop good relations with other countries, especially neighboring countries. 

Wang Yi made the remarks during a call on Friday with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. As common neighbors of Afghanistan, China and Iran need to strengthen communication and coordination to play a constructive role in achieving a smooth transition and peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan, said Wang.

Although the US has pulled out its troops from Afghanistan, Wang said, it still has an inescapable responsibility for the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan and should not try by any means to make new troubles or even turmoil for Afghanistan, or undermine the legitimate rights and interests of its neighboring countries.

As for the US saying that its withdrawal from Afghanistan allows it to focus more on dealing with China and Russia, Wang said such a notion not only serves as an excuse for America's own failure, but also reveals the nature of its pushing for power politics in the world.

A Taliban Fateh fighter (left), a "special forces" unit, stands guard along with other fighters on a street in Kabul on Sunday, as suicide bomb threats hung over the final phase of the US military's airlift operation from Kabul, with US President Joe Biden warning another attack was highly likely before the evacuations end. Photo: AFP

If the US is unable to learn the due lessons and turn to a completely fresh start, it's bound to repeat mistake like those in Afghanistan, and to slide from the failure in Afghanistan to greater failures, Wang noted.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that the root cause of the chaos in Afghanistan is the irresponsibility of the US, adding that Afghanistan should establish a broad and inclusive government reflecting the interests of all ethnic groups in the country.

The Iranian side calls on the international community to spare no effort to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and prevent any turmoil in Afghanistan from triggering a refugee wave, he said.

Iran is ready to strengthen coordination with China to help Afghanistan get out of difficulties at an early date, he added.

Apart from the situation in Afghanistan, Wang Yi and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also talked about other issues, such as China-Iran ties.

Amir-Abdollahian said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attached great importance to developing the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China.

The new Iranian government prioritizes diplomatic ties with Asian countries, and China is a major partner under this policy, he said.

Wang said China is ready to work with Iran to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, expand friendly cooperation and exchanges in various fields, continue to jointly oppose unilateralism and bullying, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of both sides and the common interests of developing countries.

China appreciates Iran's foreign policy of prioritizing ties with Asian countries. China-Iran relations are strategic, said Wang, who also thanked Iran for supporting China on issues involving China's core interests and major concerns.

Global Times