China provides $1mn to Afghanistan after Doha meet

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that aid by China will be used for medicine and food…reports Asian Lite News

A day after high-level talks with China in Doha, the Taliban on Tuesday said Beijing has provided USD 1 million to Afghanistan and has promised additional humanitarian aid worth USD 5 million.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that aid by China will be used for medicine and food, TOLO news agency reported.

This announcement was made after the second public meeting between the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Baradar and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Doha.

Mujahid in a statement said that both sides discussed Afghanistan’s political and economic situation, Khaama Press News Agency reported.

The Afghan Taliban attaches great importance to China’s security concerns, said Mullah Baradar, on Monday during a meeting with Wang Yi.

Wang expressed hope that the Taliban will further demonstrate openness and tolerance, unite all ethnic groups and factions in the country to work together for a peaceful reconstruction, Chinese State media Global Times reported.

Chinese FM urged the US and the West to lift sanctions on the country.

This meeting comes amid Taliabn’s repeated appeal for wider international recognition. China is among the very few which seem to have started engaging with the outfit. Other members of the international community are taking a wait and watch approach.

Xi, Imran discuss Afghanistan

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had a telephonic conversation during which they discussed the situation in Afghanistan and the Belt and Road initiative.

The phone call took place on Tuesday. The two leaders called on the international community to provide immediate humanitarian and economic assistance to the people of Afghanistan, Geo News reported.

They agreed to further strengthen bilateral economic and commercial ties, including the full realisation of the potential offered by the Phase-II of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, Geo News reported.

The two leaders also agreed to strengthen Pakistan-China cooperation in the relevant areas and to promote CPEC’s green development as a high-quality demonstration of the Belt and Road Initiative.

PM Imran Khan congratulated President Xi on the centenary of the Communist Party of China, the unprecedented victory in the Chinese people’s battle to eradicate absolute poverty, and appreciated China’s stellar development in four decades of reform and opening up.

The prime minister appreciated China’s successful containment of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as relief and assistance measures for the developing countries, including the vaccine cooperation with Pakistan, a statement from the PM Office read. (ANI)

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