China Hopes Taliban Will Follow Through Its Positive Statements

On Thursday, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that China maintains communication with the Taliban on the basis of full respect for the sovereignty of Afghanistan.

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Previously, the Taliban leaders said publicly they would resolve problems the people face, meet people's aspirations, and stay committed to forming an open and inclusive Islamic government.

China encourages and hopes that the Taliban can follow through these positive statements, unite with all parties and ethnic groups in Afghanistan, establish a broadly-based, inclusive political framework that fits the national conditions and wins public support through dialogue and consultation as soon as possible, and adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies.

Noting that nothing stays unchanged, Hua said that when understanding and handling problems, we should adopt a holistic, interconnected and developmental dialectical approach, and look at both the past and the present. We need to not only listen to what they say, but also look at what they do.

"If we do not keep pace with the times, but stick to fixed mindset and ignore the development of the situation, we will never reach a conclusion that is in line with reality," Hua said.

"In fact, the rapid evolution of the situation in Afghanistan also reveals how the outside world lacked objective judgment on the local situation and accurate understanding of the public opinion there," the Chinese diplomat added, stressing that some Western countries in particular should learn some lessons in this respect.

On Thursday, Taliban's supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada congratulated Afghans on the 102nd anniversary of the country's independence. No major event, however, was held in Kabul.

"It is a great honor for Afghans that their country is on the verge of independence from American occupation today," Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi tweeted.