The Chinese Foreign Minister will visit Central Asia on the SCO mission for Afghan peace

Chinese State Counselor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi File photo: Xinhua

As security threats to the hasty withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan spill over into neighboring countries, the Chinese foreign minister has scheduled visits to three Central Asian countries by invitation and will discuss the situation with Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officials. in Afghanistan.

Despite the shadow cast by the new situation in Afghanistan, it pushes countries in the region, including China, to look closely at it. Analysts said there are two challenges and opportunities for China in the Afghanistan situation. By including the issue of Afghanistan on the SCO agenda, not only can Beijing help further alleviate the chaos left by the energy vacuum in this country, but it will also push closer ties between China and other Central Asian countries. , they noted.

Chinese State Adviser and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan between July 12th and 16th at the invitation of the three countries’ foreign ministers, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced on Friday.

Wang Yi is also scheduled to attend the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group foreign ministers meeting, where he will exchange views with other SCO member countries and his Afghan counterpart on promoting regional security and stability, advancing the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, and the deepening of cooperation between the SCO and Afghanistan, said Wang Wenbin.

Illustration: Chen Xia / GT

The “irresponsible and hasty” withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan has brought security threats to the country and instability has begun to spread to countries in the region, said Qian Feng, director of research at the University’s National Institute of Strategy. Tsinghua. Global Times.

In such a circumstance, countries in the region are turning to China, hoping it can co-ordinate a multilateral framework in dealing with the issue, according to Qian.

Led by China and Russia and established in 2001, the SCO also includes India, Pakistan and four other former Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. There are four observer states – Afghanistan, Mongolia, Belarus and Iran – and six dialogue partners. Afghanistan’s six neighbors are members of the SCO.

What gives the SCO an edge in resolving the Afghan issue is its broad mandate, as it addresses Afghanistan’s security, economic and human development agenda, combining support for political stability, the implementation of large-scale economic projects and assistance in building social capital, said Sun Zhuangzhi, executive director of the SCO Chinese Research Center.

Sun noted that he could also coordinate the efforts of other international actors ranging from specialized United Nations agencies to foreign private companies to small NGOs interested in specific ways of working with partners in and around Afghanistan. .

Qian said that while respecting the principle of non-interference, China’s role in organizing regional countries to help restore order in Afghanistan fits its image of a responsible and stabilizing regional power. “And during the multilateral negotiation process, China’s relations with other Asian countries will further improve, as such a process requires deep cooperation on various issues, be they economic, counter-terrorism or other areas.”

Afghan people expect to receive aid materials donated by Chinese government in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 9, 2017. China on Thursday offered $ 100 million to help Afghan refugees and returnees and further strengthen bilateral ties with neighboring country. . File photo: Xinhua

Help, do not interfere

In an interview with This Week in Asia on Wednesday, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the organization sees China as a “friend” to Afghanistan and hopes to talk to Beijing about investing in reconstruction work “as soon as possible.” .

“China is a friendly country that we welcome for the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan,” Suhail said.

This is recognition of China’s active participation in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and sends a signal to Beijing to further engage in this reconstruction, as development and stability are intertwined, said Li Shaoxian, director of the Sino-Arab Research Institute at the University Ningxia. Global Times.

However, analysts said China would take a cautious approach to the issue, not throw it into the energy vacuum left by the US “We will not intervene, we will not try to navigate the country, we will simply provide assistance that he needs, “Qian said.

President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan as the country appeared increasingly at risk of spiraling into civil war.

He said the U.S. military mission there would end on Aug. 31, earlier than originally announced.

When U.S. forces withdrew from Bagram Airfield, a strategic air base in Afghanistan, in the middle of the night last week, they left behind many things, from water bottles and energy drinks to civilian and armored vehicles, an Afghan general told the Associated Press.

Wang Wenbin criticized U.S. irresponsibility at a news conference Friday, saying U.S. hypocrisy hidden behind “the protection of human rights and democracy” was fully exposed by its withdrawal. On the contrary, China has always supported the people of Afghanistan to take the country into their own hands and is ready to provide support for the needs of the country.

Earlier this month, Wang Yi spoke with counterparts in Afghanistan and Pakistan and said the three countries had agreed to support the “substantial expansion” of investment projects in Afghanistan.

“China proposes expanding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, to help the country further accelerate its peaceful reconstruction, thus reducing the risk of unrest,” Qian said.

The expert also stressed that the Belt and Road Initiative could bring opportunities for Afghan reconstruction.

Afghan health workers disinfect medical equipment donated by China ahead of a handover ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 2, 2020. File photo: Xinhua

The Chinese government has evacuated 210 Chinese nationals from Afghanistan on a charter flight to Wuhan amid a deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. The evacuation mission was widely welcomed by Chinese internet users, the Global Times learned.

“This is an emergency response from China seeing that the situation in Afghanistan is escalating rapidly. Further measures for Chinese citizens depend on whether the country will slip back into civil war. So this is what China and other countries in the region need “A chaotic Afghanistan will deal a severe blow to neighboring countries as well as foreign investment in Afghanistan,” the Sun said.