UNITED NATIONS: China renewed its calls for international community to engage with Taliban, Afghanistan’s de facto rulers, one year after group’s takeover of Kabul. China’s UN envoy Zhang Jun told reporters in New York that it was important to engage with new administration to give them guidance and confidence so that they can move forward.

While China has not recognised Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government, it has diplomatic ties with group. “Those who have withdrawn should also exercise their responsibilities. They cannot simply say they left and forget everything,” Zhang said. He also called for release of Afghan funds, which remain frozen in US, from country’s central bank as soon as possible. “There is no justification for anyone to freeze assets that belong to Afghanistan,” he said.

US has seized almost $ 9 billion of Afghan funds since Taliban takeover, with Joe Biden administration splitting frozen assets between victims of September 11, 2001 terror attacks and humanitarian aid for Afghan people.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 18 2022

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