China overlooks rights abuse, backs Taliban

Beijing, March 31

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday issued strong backing for Afghanistan at a regional conference, while making no mention of human rights abuses by the Taliban leaders.

Russia voices concern over Islamist groups

Russia has accredited a diplomat from the Taliban to engage with the new Afghan government but remains concerned about the threat of Islamist groups spilling over into Russia via Central Asia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday. Speaking at an Afghanistan-focused conference in China, Lavrov said growing trade and economic ties between Afghanistan and countries in the region was contributing to the potential international recognition of their administration. Reuters

Xi pledged China’s support in a message to a gathering of representatives from Afghanistan, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in a central Chinese city that spotlights Beijing’s aspirations to play a leading role in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US forces in August last year.

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

“China has all along respected Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and is committed to supporting its peaceful and stable development,” Xi said in his message to the gathering in Tunxi, a centre of the tourism industry in Anhui province. Xi gave no specifics, although China has already shipped emergency aid to Afghanistan and is seeking to develop copper mining there. — AP