Chinese FM calls on G20 to contribute to Afghan peace, stability

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping's special representative Wang Yi on Tuesday said the G20 should give full play to its own advantages to contribute to the peace, stability, prosperity and development of Afghanistan and the region.

Wang, also Chinese state councilor and foreign minister, made the remarks via video link at an extraordinary G20 leaders' summit on the Afghanistan issue.

Experience and lessons from Afghanistan over the past two decades have demonstrated that the right way to get along between countries is the respect for independent choices of development paths, and mutual inclusiveness and mutual learning among different civilizations.

Imposing one's own ideology on others, arbitrarily interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, or even resorting to military intervention will only bring about continuous turmoil and poverty, and cause serious humanitarian disasters, Wang added.

Calling on all parties to help Afghanistan cope with the humanitarian crisis, Wang said China is accelerating the provision of emergency assistance to Afghanistan worth 200 million yuan ($31 million) in food, winter materials, vaccines and medicines. The first batch of materials has been delivered to Afghanistan.

The international community should promote Afghanistan to embark on an open and inclusive development path, Wang said, adding that unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan should be lifted as soon as possible, and international financial institutions should increase their funding support of Afghanistan's poverty reduction and infrastructure projects.

Afghanistan should be kept away from terrorism, Wang said, calling for the formation of consensus and concerted efforts on various Afghan-related mechanisms.