BEIJING, 14 October 2021, (TON): China said that Afghanistan was at a “crossroads” where “challenges and opportunities coexist.”

State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi proposed a four-way engagement with the war-torn country during a G-20 leaders’ meeting.

Wang urged helping Afghans' livelihoods with humanitarian support to overcome difficulties, including food shortages, the coronavirus pandemic and a lack of medical supplies while stressing respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Beijing already announced $31 million in humanitarian support to the Taliban administration given the looming humanitarian disaster as warned by the UN, according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

He said “Wang called for an open, inclusive path of development in Afghanistan. The international community should proceed from a rational and pragmatic perspective, engage in dialogue and contact with all parties in Afghanistan, support the Afghan people to independently choose a development path that suits their national conditions.”

He encouraged more financial support to alleviate poverty and infrastructure projects and said “unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan should be lifted as soon as possible.”

The US has frozen nearly $9 billion in Afghan reserves since the Taliban regained power in Kabul in August after the exit of foreign forces.

Wang said there should be a “zero-tolerance attitude” to ensure Afghanistan stays away from terrorism.