[A Taliban delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani had visited China in July 2021. In the above picture, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is posing with the visiting Taliban leader. (File/AFP)]
Beijing/Kabul: Even as the world is silently watching the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, China became the first country to openly extend the support for the soon-to-be formed government in what reports said “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”.
Media reports citing Taliban sources late in the night Sunday said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the new president of “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”, though more details about the government formation are still awaited.
“Taliban did not want to live in isolation and said the type and form of the new government in Afghanistan would be made clear soon”, Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban's political office, told Al Jazeera TV.
Amid the preparation by Taliban to form a new government in the war-hit country, China said it is ready to deepen "friendly and cooperative" relations with Afghanistan.
"The Taliban have repeatedly expressed their hope to develop good relations with China, and that they look forward to China's participation in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan," news agency AFP quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying as saying to the reporters.
"We welcome this. China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny and is willing to continue to develop friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan”, Hua said.
Hua called on the Taliban to "ensure a smooth transition" of power and keep its promises to negotiate the establishment of an "open and inclusive Islamic government" and ensure the safety of Afghans and foreign citizens.
China's embassy in Kabul remains operational, Hua said, although Beijing began evacuating Chinese citizens from Afghanistan months ago amid the deteriorating security situation.
In a statement Monday, the embassy told Chinese citizens remaining in Afghanistan to "pay close attention to the security situation" and stay indoors, according to AFP.
Meanwhile, a day after taking over Kabul and almost all of Afghanistan, Taliban on Monday announced the end of the 20-year long war, and said Afghanistan is now a free and liberated country.
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