Chinese FM urges keeping up with the time when viewing the Taliban, which is ‘more sober and rational’ in media reports

Has China been in contact with the Taliban recently? Under what conditions will China recognize the Taliban’s rule? Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying replied that many media believed the Taliban is more sober and rational than last time it was in power, and China encourages and hopes the Taliban will implement its positive remarks.

China has maintained contact and communication with the Afghan Taliban and other factions on the basis of fully respecting the national sovereignty of Afghanistan and the will of various factions in the country, Hua said at the press briefing on Thursday.

Many media believe that the Taliban today is more sober and rational than last time it was in power. China encourages and hopes the Taliban will implement their positive remarks and build a political system that suits its domestic situation, supported by their people with broad inclusiveness, Hua said.

The Taliban should curb terrorism and criminal acts, to ensure there is peace in Afghanistan, so that the Afghan people who have suffered from the war can live peacefully, the spokesperson said.

Hua continued, some repeatedly stress distrust of the Taliban, but what I want to say is nothing in the world can stand still. I prefer to look at things dialectically, to see its past and present, and its words as well as actions.

You won’t be able to draw practical conclusions if you don’t keep pace with the times and only keep a conservative and fixed mindset and ignore the development of the situation, Hua said.

The rapid evolution of Afghanistan’s situation actually shows that the outside world lacks of objective judgments over the situation in Afghanistan and accurate grasp of the public opinion of Afghans. In this regard, I think that some Western countries in particular should learn a lesson, Hua said.