Taliban official urges China to back Afghanistan in global forums

Abdul Salam Hanafi, the administrative deputy to the prime minister in the Taliban-led administration, in a farewell meeting with Zhao Xing, China’s ambassador to Kabul, called on Beijing to continue its effective support for Afghanistan at the UN Security Council and other international forums.

The meeting was held at the presidential palace. Hanafi thanked the Chinese ambassador for his activities in Afghanistan and expressed hope that relations between the two countries would expand in the future.

Zhao Xing, who is leaving Kabul after three years in Afghanistan, thanked what he called the Taliban administration’s cooperation and said China and Afghanistan, as two neighbouring countries, have historical and long-standing relations.

The Chinese ambassador also said his country supports Afghanistan at the United Nations and other international institutions. He claimed that economic exchanges between the two countries have improved over the past three years and that travel between their people has also increased.

Referring to China’s regional and global standing, Hanafi described the country as an important neighbour economically and called for its support for Afghanistan in international institutions.