PESHAWAR – Chinese Ambassador in Islamabad Yao Jing has given a surpriseand encouraging statement about the Afghan Taliban.
He said that his country will “pick Afghan Taliban as a political force” inthe backdrop of their participation in the ongoing peace talks with the USand at other forums.
Speaking at a roundtable conference at the Area Study Centre, University ofPeshawar, on Tuesday, he said that Beijing supported Pakistan’s freshinitiatives for facilitating efforts for political settlement of the Afghanconflict and confidence-building measures in relations with Kabul.
Asked about apparent lack of eagerness on the part of China in the ongoingtalks for political settlement of the Afghan issue, the envoy said that hiscountry had contacts with both the Taliban and the Afghan government.
China had deputed a special envoy who was visiting the Taliban’s politicaloffice in Doha, he added.
“China will pick them (Taliban) as a political force because they are nowpart of the Afghan political process and they have some political concerns.
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They have to be allowed to play a legitimate role in the future politicalsettlement,” he further elaborated his government’s policy on the Afghanpeace process being discussed at different forums.
“If possible, China can exert pressure on the Taliban to join the peaceprocess,” said the ambassador who had served in Kabul and New Delhi beforetaking over his new assignment in Pakistan.
He urged all external stakeholders, including Afghanistan’s neighbours, toplay their role for peace in the war-ravaged country.
