NEW YORK – The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Sami (JUI-S) chief, Maulana Samiul Haqhas called on China to play a larger role in negotiations to end the war inAfghanistan, now in its 17th year.In an interview with Bloomberg, an international news service, he said thatChina’s stake in regional peace is larger than America and Beijing would bewelcomed as an arbitrator in the negotiations.
Haq spoke to Bloomberg at his seminary near Peshawar, according to itsdispatch.Maulana Samiul Haq stressed China’s role, saying Beijing shouldn’t “leavematters of such a great importance solely to the U.S.”As U.S. President Donald Trump tentatively renews direct talks with theTaliban in a bid to end America’s longest war, Haq said peace negotiationscan succeed if Washington announces a troop withdrawal date.
Joshua White, a former director for South Asian Affairs at the U.S.National Security Council and now non-resident fellow at the BrookingsInstitution, a Washington-based think tank, agreed with the Maulana. “TheU.S. should welcome a greater role by China in the Afghan peace process,”White was quoted as saying in the dispatch.
“Perhaps the most useful thing that China can do is to encourage betterties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which would contribute to thestability of the Afghan government and bolster its negotiating position.”
China’s government in August denied reports it had quietly increased itssecurity presence in the country and built a military base in Afghanistan.However, it has increased economic aid and investment in the war-tornnation in recent years, including rail links.
Read Top Stories
“As long as there is an opportunity, China will promote peace talks in aprivate way,” Shi Yinhong, a foreign affairs adviser to China’s StateCouncil and professor at Renmin University, was quoted as saying. “Somepeople wish China could provide more resources or even to send militaryforces, but this is not appropriate.”Maulana Samiul Haq said, “These peace talks can be fruitful only when theU.S. comes up with a clear agenda for withdrawing its troops fromAfghanistan.”
Haq warned the U.S. against keeping peace talks behind closed doors, whichmay mislead the Taliban’s rank-and-file into thinking their mediators aremaking questionable compromises while they fight on the battlefield.Haq also offered to help with the negotiations, according to Bloomberg. -APP
