China has said the international community should support opportunities for positive development in Afghanistan, not impose sanctions on the Taliban, according to the Associated Press.
“The international community should encourage the development of the situation in Afghanistan in a positive direction, support peaceful reconstruction, improve people’s well-being and increase opportunities for independent development,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters.
“The constant imposition of sanctions and pressure cannot solve the problem, but will have only the opposite effect,” he was quoted as saying by BTA.
China is using incidents at Kabul airport to increase criticism of US actions in Afghanistan, including US attempts to establish a Western-style democracy. China, which has a small border with Afghanistan, has left its embassy in Kabul open and is seeking friendly relations with the Taliban.