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China promotes peace and work for economic stability in Afghanistan

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China has been the main supporter of Afghanistan since decades. Even during the invasion of Afghanistan, China had played a key role in promoting peace and initiated several infrastructure projects to uplift the fragile economic situation of the country. Moreover, a new chapter has been opened in relation between Afghanistan and China as well as between Afghanistan and Pakistan after the regime changed. The ties between the three neighbors seemed unprecedentedly boosted after the victory of the Taliban in August 2021 when the foreign troops accepted defeat and made a hasty withdrawal after 20 years of presence.

China as an important neighbor to Afghanistan and a powerful country in the world has often extended helping hands to Afghanistan and exhibited a strong intention to help improve the country’s security and economy.  To reach that goal, China didn’t freeze its diplomatic mission in Kabul after the collapse of the previous government and at the same time did not recognize the Taliban government officially. The point is that China understands the gravity of the situation and it wants to help the Afghan people at the most difficult time caused by the chaotic and irresponsible drawdown of foreign forces.

Beijing has never stopped supporting Afghanistan with a population of an estimated 35 million, who are going through extreme poverty due to the flop policy of the western countries, especially the US on top of that.

Someone needs to ask the US that what was the outcome of 20 years of presence in Afghanistan and where the billions of dollars had been spent? There is no need to touch on the political arena but in economic aspects, the US must come up to the fore with a clear explanation.  Surely, the US has no reasonable clarification and would never be able to put in plain words what has exactly happened in Afghanistan and why the economy is so bad.

It is worth mentioning that Afghanistan is not a poor country as it has three billion dollars underground resources only and other billions of precious capitals.  Afghanistan is also called the “Heart of Asia” and geo-politically it is located in the most strategic quarter.

Nevertheless, Afghanistan still has a strong country on its side and that is China. Afghanistan needs China and Beijing as a neighbor has been making all out efforts to make Afghanistan stand on its own feet.

China will always stand firmly with Afghan people

China Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Islamabad, Pakistan, where he said that “China and Afghanistan are traditionally friendly neighbors connected by mountains and rivers.”

He said that both the countries have been supporting, understanding and trusting each other. “No matter how international and regional situations evolve, China will always stand firmly with the Afghan people and support Afghanistan in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions,” he added.

Qin furthered that “China will, as always, respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, deepen China-Afghanistan cooperation in various fields, and help Afghanistan realize self-reliance, peace, stability, development and prosperity at an early date.”

Belt and Road Initiative to Afghanistan

The Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart said that Afghanistan attaches great importance to developing relations with China and will never allow any force to use the Afghan territory for anti-China activities.

The Taliban also expressed eagerness to be part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to Afghanistan, potentially drawing in billions of dollars to fund infrastructure projects in the country.

“Afghanistan hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in such fields as economy, trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and infrastructure development within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative to safeguard the common interests of the two sides and benefit the two peoples,” Muttaqi told Qin Gang.

He added that Afghanistan hopes to live in harmony with China, Pakistan and other neighboring countries and is ready to actively promote Afghanistan-China-Pakistan trilateral cooperation to promote regional stability and prosperity.

During the meeting, Qin Gang emphasized that Afghanistan should earnestly fulfill its commitment to fighting terrorism, resolutely crack down on terrorist forces, including the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, and ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and institutions in Afghanistan.

“China will continue to advance the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral dialogue and cooperation based on the principles of equal consultation, practical cooperation and friendship, mutual benefit and win-win results,” he added.

China invests $2b since two years in Afghanistan

China has signed $2 billion contracts on several economic projects since the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, and these investments are mainly in areas of extraction of mines, services at airports and industrial parks.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Abdul Salam Jawad said that there are several Chinese companies that are also active in Afghanistan where 21 of them are only based in Kabul, the capital city. Jawad said that a number of Chinese investors held a meeting with the deputy Minister of Industry and Mines and discussed important aspects on the investment sites.

There is also an expectation that China will include Afghanistan in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and rename the project to China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CAPEC). There is no official confirmation on the news, but apparently China is working to include Afghanistan in all big projects as part of regional connectivity, improve cross-border trading, enhance the economic integration and achieve sustainable development. CPEC is a $60 billion project and China’s foreign minister vowed to work for reconstruction of Afghanistan including its inclusion in BRI which CPEC is part of that.

Three neighbors agree to boost security and economic cooperation

On Saturday, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to deepen ties and enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism and economic cooperation to boost regional stability.  The foreign ministers of the three sides made the pledge at the 5th China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue in Islamabad, where China’s Qin Gang, Afghan’s Muttaqi and Pakistan’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari seemed happy on the outcome of the meeting as they vowed more cooperation in different fields.

The fifth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue was held in Islamabad, Pakistan.

During the session, Qin said that China has been attaching great importance to the friendship with Afghanistan and Pakistan, and is willing to work with the two sides to implement the “Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative,” share development opportunities, jointly meet security challenges, and promote regional stability and prosperity.

Qin also asked Afghanistan and Pakistan to further strengthen the security measure for Chinese people working in the two countries. He also stressed the importance of anti-terrorism cooperation, saying China firmly opposes any form of terrorism and is ready to step up cooperation in fighting terrorism under regional multilateral frameworks including the coordination and cooperation mechanism among Afghanistan’s neighboring countries.

China also expressed readiness to strengthen development cooperation, share development opportunities and increase cultural and people-to-people exchanges with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Afghanistan and Pakistan agree on bilateral cooperation

On their parts, Muttaqi and Bilawal agreed that the trilateral cooperation mechanism is of great significance to regional peace and prosperity, and both sided pledged to actively promote the trilateral cooperation, formulate a roadmap for political, security and economic cooperation to safeguard the common interests of the three countries, achieve mutual benefit, and bring benefits to the people of the three countries and other countries in the region.

Afghanistan foreign ministry spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad said that Muttaqi and Bilawal held a bilateral meeting in Islamabad, and both sides discussed political-economic, commercial, transit relations and the necessary aspects to provide facilities between the two countries.

He also said that both sides held a detailed discussion on the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and facilitated easy round trips for traders across the borders.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have never been easy and both sides accused each other of cross border shelling and terroristic activities. Since the return of the Taliban in 2021, there have been several clashes between the border guards of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

China presses for inclusive government in Afghanistan

China on Saturday pressed for the establishment of the inclusive government in Afghanistan, and called on the Taliban officials to pursue a moderate police force and have friendly relations with all the neighbors.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Qin Gang called on the Taliban leaders to take bold steps in the fight against terrorism and take seriously the security concerns of its neighboring countries.

But the Taliban says they were able to establish an inclusive government and also there is no major threat posed to the neighbors from the soil of Afghanistan.

Taliban deputy spokesman, Bilal Karimi said that no one will be allowed to pose a threat to other countries from Afghanistan. He also said that the infrastructure of the government under the Taliban leadership is inclusive.

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Taliban denies Pakistan claims Jaffar Express “terrorists” were in contact with leaders in Afghanistan

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The recent attack on the Jafar Express passenger train in the Pakistani province of Balochistan by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has sparked a number of reactions, including strong condemnation from the National Resistance Front and some Afghan jihadi organizations. Many people asked for designation of the BLA as a terrorist group.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said that “India has been involved in terrorism. In the particular attack on Jaffar Express, the terrorists had been in contact with their handlers and ring leaders in Afghanistan.” The statement came a day after the rescue operation for the Jaffar Express attack was completed and all the 33 BLA fighters, who hijacked the Jaffar Express which was carrying over 400 passengers, were killed.

The Pakistani military said that 21 passengers have been killed and the remaining hostages have been freed. And also, four Pakistani security forces killed during the rescue operation in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district.

Shafqat Ali Khan added that “the terrorists have safe havens in Afghanistan, and Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government to prevent groups like the BLA from using its soil for terrorism.”

Pakistani Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the Jaffar Express incident changed the rules of the game.

“Whoever did this will be hunted down and brought to justice,” he said, adding that the terrorists had nothing to do with Islam, Pakistan and Balochistan. In a statement, the ISPR said that intelligence reports have unequivocally confirmed that the attack was orchestrated and directed by terrorist ring leaders operating from Afghanistan, who were in direct communication with the terrorists throughout the incident.

Taliban urges Pakistan to restrain from irresponsible statement rather resolve their own security issues.

The Taliban Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Abdul Qahar Balki asked Pakistan to refrain from giving irresponsible remarks and instead focus on the security situation and internal issues of the country.

“We categorically reject baseless allegations by a Pakistani army spokesman linking the attack on a passenger train in Balochistan province with Afghanistan, and urge the Pakistani side to focus on resolving their own security and internal problems instead of such irresponsible remarks,” Balkhi added.

Balkhi furthered that “no members of Balouch opposition have presence in Afghanistan, nor have they ever had or have any links with the Islamic Emirate.”

He expressed his saddened by the loss of life of innocents in the incident, lamenting that “sacrificing civilians for political objectives is unjustifiable”.

Baloch struggle against injustices.

The incident came despite the fact that the Baloch struggle against injustices by the Pakistani military began in 1948. These struggles are in response to systematic discrimination, political marginalization, the “kill and dump” policy, and the unjust exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources.

Given these facts, a fundamental question arises: What is the difference between the oppression of the Pakistani military against the Baloch and the oppression of the same military’s proxy forces in the form of the Taliban against the people of Afghanistan?

“What difference should there be between the BLA and those who have condemned it, to call one a terrorist group and consider themselves legitimate fighters, while both groups have resorted to armed resistance in response to injustice and oppression,” Rahmatullah Nabil former Afghan spy head said.

It seems that condemning the Baloch freedom movement indicates a double policy that can add to the distrust of the narrative of the struggle of these movements. “I think it is essential to address such issues by paying attention to the historical and social roots of the conflicts and responding to them with a fair and impartial approach.”

 

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Premier Li calls for accelerated efforts to meet China’s economic goals

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged officials to do their utmost in the race to achieve key targets, such as maintaining an economic growth rate of around 5%, as set out in the “two sessions” held last week.

“We must improve measures and accelerate their implementation, race against time amidst various uncertainties, and work quickly and proactively,” Li said on Wednesday at a State Council meeting, one day after the conclusion of the annual meetings of China’s top legislative and advisory bodies.

As Beijing outlined a series of policies to boost growth in the face of economic headwinds, Li called on all state institutions to “take the initiative to fulfill their responsibilities and take more positive steps to complete their tasks.”

Although Chinese leaders emphasized their confidence in the future of the world’s second-largest economy, they also highlighted ongoing challenges such as weak domestic demand and intensifying trade frictions with the US during the two sessions.

According to a summary of Wednesday’s meeting reported by Xinhua, Li asked officials to “closely monitor changes in the situation and make good policy preparations to ensure they can be launched in a timely manner and deliver results as soon as possible.”

In his work report last week, Li emphasized that China’s growth target of around 5% for 2025 underscored the leadership’s determination to tackle challenges and achieve results.

While China announced further fiscal stimulus measures during the two sessions, following a package in the last quarter of 2024, it faces uncertainties not only domestically but also externally, particularly due to the trade war with US President Donald Trump.

At Wednesday’s State Council meeting, a work plan was discussed and adopted that clarified the division of key tasks for this year among different departments and emphasized inter-departmental coordination.

According to a separate meeting held by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on the same day, these tasks include expanding the scale of 5G telecom technology applications and accelerating the development of 6G.

Li Lecheng, the Party Secretary of the Ministry, pledged to continue efforts to upgrade traditional industries, accelerate the digitalization and green transformation of the manufacturing sector, and accelerate the application of artificial intelligence, especially in areas such as electric vehicles, the low-altitude economy, and biomanufacturing.

According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, 1.664 million electric bicycles were sold and replaced nationwide from January 1 to Tuesday, accounting for 120.4% of the total number in 2024.

Meanwhile, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, a leading state-owned bank, pledged on Wednesday to provide at least 6 trillion yuan (829.2 billion US dollars) in financing to private enterprises over the next three years, Xinhua reported.

Bank Chairman Liao Lin said at an event in Beijing that the aim was to “support businesses to stick to their core businesses” and “help the economy continue to recover and improve.”

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Zhao Leji misses key political meetings, citing respiratory infection

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For the first time in recent history, the head of China’s top legislature was absent from the closing of the parliamentary meeting known as the “two sessions” on Tuesday.

Zhao Leji, 68, the third-ranking official and chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC), was unable to attend due to a “respiratory infection,” according to his deputy, Li Hongzhong, who presided over the closing ceremony.

Zhao last appeared in public on Saturday at the first meeting of the NPC presidium.

For the first time in decades, not all members of the Politburo Standing Committee attended the closing meeting of the NPC.

However, Zhao’s name was mentioned when Li announced the voting results of the NPC’s annual work report.

“The deputies of the NPC listened to and reviewed the work report presented by Chairman Zhao Leji on behalf of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. The session fully approved the work of the Standing Committee over the past year, agreed with the tasks proposed in the report for the coming year, and decided to approve the report,” Li said.

According to Li, the work report was approved by an overwhelming majority.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang both appeared relieved as they left the stage after the ceremony concluded.

For the first time since the pandemic, Covid-19 tests were not required to attend the two sessions.

Zhao was also absent from the closing of the annual session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on Monday, which was attended by the other six members of the Politburo Standing Committee, including President Xi.

Since the 1980s, it has become a political norm for all top leaders of the ruling party to attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the annual NPC and CPPCC sessions as a political endorsement of the national legislative and political advisory sessions.

The annual event also serves as a platform for party and government leaders to hear the views of non-party Chinese elites on China’s most pressing issues.

In addition to missing the closing of the CPPCC, Zhao also did not attend two meetings of the NPC’s presidium on Monday, which are usually overseen by the NPC chairman. Instead, state news agency Xinhua said that NPC Vice Chairman Li Hongzhong was “entrusted by Zhao Leji” to preside over the two meetings.

At the meeting where Zhao last appeared in public on March 8 at the NPC presidium, it was decided to submit the draft decision on the amendment of the Deputies Law and the draft revisions to the government work report and the central and local government budgets to the NPC for consideration.

Zhao, who was promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee in 2017, served as secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party’s top anti-corruption and political discipline body, until 2022, succeeding Wang Qishan.

At the 20th Party Congress in 2022, he was reappointed to the Politburo Standing Committee, becoming the third-ranking member. In March 2023, he was appointed chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, succeeding Li Zhanshu.

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