The Chinese Government has been actively pushing for a political solution to the Afghanistan issue, and it is willing to continue its constructive role in this regard, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said Thursday.
Zhang reviewed China's efforts for a political solution to the issue in response to a question at a regular press conference.
As a neighbor of Afghanistan, China has closely followed the development of the situation in Afghanistan and has played its due role in trying to help bring about a peaceful settlement of the issue at an early date, Zhang said.
She said after the September 11 terrorist attack in the United States, great changes have taken place in the situation in Afghanistan, and China timely put forward five principles for resolving the issue, stressing that the future government of the country should be broad-based; it should represent interests of all ethnic groups in the country and be friendly with other countries, especially its neighboring countries; and the United Nations should play a major role in the process. (To view the full text of the five principles)
Meanwhile, China has kept close contact and consulted with the international community on the issue, she said.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin has talked over the phone with leaders of other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, as well as with leaders of Pakistan, Egypt and other countries, exchanging views and reaching consensus on the international anti- terrorism and the Afghan issue, she said.
In addition to telephone conversations with foreign ministers of dozens of countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan attended the U.N. meeting of the "6+2" Group foreign ministers on Afghanistan, and an open foreign ministers meeting sponsored by the U.N. Security Council, expounding China's stand on the issue. Zhang said that Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as special envoy of President Jiang Zemin, visited Pakistan in mid- September, exchanging views with the Pakistan side on the international counter-terrorism and the Afghan issue. In addition, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also sent delegations to central Asian countries and Arabic nations to coordinate the stand on the issue of international counter-terrorism and the Afghanistan issue, she said.
The spokeswoman said that China attaches importance to and has taken an active part in the international community's efforts for the reconstruction of Afghanistan and in providing humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.
She said that after the September 11 terrorist attack, the Chinese Government provided Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran with timely material aid, and Chinese representatives attended meetings on the reconstruction of Afghanistan held in Washington and Islamabad.
Senior diplomats from the Chinese Embassy in Germany attended the Bonn meeting as observers, and they extensively contacted various parties from Afghanistan and offered support to U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi's work and encouragement for the efforts of the various sides for national reconciliation.
It is easy to see that the Chinese Government has always actively promoted the political solution of the Afghanistan issue, Zhang said. The Chinese Government hopes the Afghanistan people will be able to resume a peaceful life as soon as possible and is willing to continue its constructive role in this regard, she said.
Zhang expressed the belief that the goal will be realized with the joint efforts from the international community, and it not only conforms to the fundamental wishes and interests of the Afghanistan people, but also is conducive to the peace and stability in the region and the world at large.
China will actively develop relations with the interim government of Afghanistan, said the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, when asked to comment on the founding of the interim government of Afghanistan.
Zhang said the just-concluded Bonn meeting has reached agreement on the founding of an interim government in Afghanistan and China extended congratulations for that.
China also appreciated the efforts made by the United Nations and the flexible and practical attitude adopted by participating groups from Afghanistan, she said.
The spokeswoman said the achievements of the Bonn meeting were a good starting point for Afghanistan to move towards peace and stability, and extended the wish that Afghanistan parties will value their national cause and earnestly put the agreements into practice.
She also hoped that the interim government could lead Afghanistan to peace and stability and would assist its people to resume a peaceful life as soon as possible.
After the setting up of the interim government, China will actively develop relations with the interim government and provideit with any necessary aid, she added.
(Xinhua News Agency December 7, 2001)
