KABUL, 06 March 2022, (TON): More than 410,000 Chinese netizens have signed a joint letter by China’s Global Times newspaper urging the United States to return assets in full to Afghans immediately and unconditionally.

This comes after US President Joe Biden moved to divert $7 billion in frozen Afghan assets for humanitarian assistance and to the families of 9/11 victims.

China has repeatedly slammed US over its actions on the Afghan assets.

China’s UN envoy, Zhang Jun, said at a UN Security Council “returning other people’s money in full is not a virtue of generosity, but a matter of course. Paying back half and deducting half of other people’s money is not gifting, but stealing.”

Zhang said “this is the simplest truth. What the US did is neither legal nor reasonable nor humane.”

He called on the relevant countries to immediately and unconditionally return these assets to Afghans in full.

Zhang said “the diplomat said that the US’ act is a breach of Afghanistan’s national sovereignty and property, and is a serious contravention of international law. Afghanistan is at a crucial stage of reconstruction, which is working hard to improve its political structure, restore order in production and life, and actively conduct foreign exchanges and cooperation.”