Statement by H.E. Ambassador CHEN Xu at the High-level Ministerial Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan
2021-09-13 21:00

Secretary-General,

Ministers,

Delegates,

The situation in Afghanistan is at a critical juncture, and the country is facing severe challenges such as humanitarian issues, people's livelihoods and the COVID-19 pandemic. A few days ago, a foreign ministers meeting was held among Afghanistan's neighbors including China. The meeting issued a joint statement and reached a series of consensuses on pandemic prevention and control, keeping open ports of entry, refugees and migrants management and control, humanitarian aid, counter-terrorism, security cooperation and drug control etc., which sends an important signal to create a favorable external environment for Afghanistan's peace and reconstruction.

China supports the UN in playing a bigger role in alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and helping Afghanistan achieve a smooth transition and embark on the path of peaceful development at an early date. China welcomes UN's flash appeal for humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, support UN to strengthen cooperation with other multilateral mechanisms related to the Afghanistan issue and form synergy by complementing each other.

As its close neighbor, China has always respected the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, adhered to non-interference in its internal affairs and pursued a friendly policy towards all Afghan people. China has decided to urgently provide food, materials for winter, COVID-19 vaccines, and medicines worth 200 million yuan to Afghanistan. We will donate, in the first batch, 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Afghanistan, with more emergency supplies to follow. China will continue to respect the Afghan people's wish and needs, and do its best to support Afghanistan in its peaceful reconstruction and economic development.

Under the current circumstances, the international community need to step up assistance to Afghanistan. The United States and its allies are more obligated to provide economic, livelihood and humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. At the same time, the international community should direct its attention to addressing both the urgent humanitarian needs and the need for sustainable development of Afghanistan, help the country tap into its advantages, deepen cooperation on the counter-terrorism and drug control, resolve practical issues such as overseas assets freezing, address both the symptoms and the root causes of the issue of Afghan refugees and migrants, help the country achieve stability at an early date and better integrate into the economic and trade connectivity in the region, so as to promote economic and social development and improve the livelihood of its people.

Past experience guides for the future. The evolving situation of Afghanistan once again shows that only by respecting the sovereignty, independence and territory integrity of Afghanistan, respecting the will of the Afghan people, and adhering to the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned principle can the international community truly play a constructive role in Afghanistan's peaceful reconstruction. We hope that Taliban inAfghanistan can honor its commitments, make the right choice and find a development path suited to its national conditions.

Thank you.