Beijing: Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State 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.
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.
Chinese state TV said the call was made at the invitation of Washington.
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.”
The two diplomats also discussed U.S.-China ties on Sunday, according to the Chinese statement.
Wang said recent communications between the two countries on Afghanistan and climate change show that dialogue and cooperation are better than confrontation, it said.
“China will consider how to engage with the U.S. side based on the U.S. attitude towards China,” Wang was quoted as saying.