Afghan PM meets Chinese FM in Kabul, hails bilateral ties with China

Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund hailed China-Afghanistan friendship and cooperation in his meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kabul on Wednesday.

Akhund expressed gratitude for the Chinese government's consistent goodwill and positive attitude toward Afghanistan and thanked China for its firm support in advocating for Afghanistan's interests in the international arena in his meeting with Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Akhund emphasized that history has proven that countries attempting to interfere in others' internal affairs ultimately suffer the consequences, while those pursuing friendly policies, like China, achieve success.

Both Afghanistan and China uphold the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and are committed to fostering friendly relations and cooperation with other countries, Akhund said.

Noting some Western countries are still maligning the country, which has faced war and instability over the past two decades, Akhund said the Afghan government is determined to resolve these issues, promote development and improve the well-being of its people without creating trouble for other nations.

Afghanistan looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China and advancing a positive, sustainable and friendly relationship, Akhund said, adding that Afghanistan will never allow any force to use Afghan territory to threaten China and will always stand with China.

For his part, Wang affirmed that China and Afghanistan have a long history of friendly relations.

China consistently respects Afghanistan's sovereignty, cultural traditions and governance model and supports Afghanistan's independent development, Wang said, adding that Afghanistan is an indispensable and important member in the modernization drive of China and its neighboring countries.

Wang also said that imperialist, colonialist and hegemonic forces have failed in their attempts to invade Afghanistan throughout history, and such schemes will not succeed in the future.

China advocates for equality among countries, opposes bullying by the strong and believes every nation, including Afghanistan, has the right to achieve development and prosperity, Wang added.

As Afghanistan's neighbor, China will continue to uphold fairness, oppose unilateral bullying and engage in multi-faceted cooperation with Afghanistan, said the Chinese foreign minister. 

Speaking of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a terrorist organization recognized by the UN Security Council, Wang urged the Afghan government to pay attention to China's security concerns and intensify efforts to combat the group.