(VOVWORLD) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his US counterpart Antony Blinken in a phone call on Sunday that the international community should engage with Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers and "positively guide" them, China's foreign ministry said.
 China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Source: Reuters) |
Washington should work with the international community to provide economic and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, help the new regime run governmental functions normally, maintain social stability, and stop the currency from depreciating and the cost of living from rising, Wang said, according to a statement.
"While respecting the sovereignty of Afghanistan, the US should take concrete action to help Afghanistan fight terrorism and stop violence, rather than playing double standards or fighting terrorism selectively," Wang said, warning that the "hasty withdrawal" could allow terrorist groups to "regroup and come back stronger."
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that Blinken and Wang spoke about "the importance of the international community holding the Taliban accountable for the public commitments they have made regarding the safe passage and freedom to travel for Afghans and foreign nationals."
China has not officially recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan's new rulers, but Wang Yi last month hosted Mullah Baradar, chief of the group's political office, and has said the world should guide and support the country as it transitions to a new government instead of putting more pressure on it.