China's Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun speaks at the UN headquarters in New York.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
China has always hoped that the UN General Assembly resolutions will reflect the situation in Afghanistan in a comprehensive and objective manner, rather than be biased toward individual countries, Chinese envoy at the United Nations said on Thursday explaining China's decision of abstaining from the vote on issues relating to Afghanistan. 

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said that the draft resolution, regrettably, is unbalanced especially on a series of important issues such as unfreezing Afghan assets abroad, investigating crimes committed by foreign forces in Afghanistan, and the risk of proliferation of weapons left behind in Afghanistan. These issues should not be ignored in the resolution, said Zhang. 

"The Afghan people are waiting for an explanation of the crimes committed by foreign troops in Afghanistan, and the countries that are mainly responsible for the current situation must seriously reflect on the mistakes and take appropriate assistance for the country's development. The practice of political blockade and isolation will not solve the problem, but will exacerbate the suffering of the Afghan people," said the Chinese envoy. 

With the hasty withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan last year, the 20-year war in Afghanistan ended in chaos. History has once again proved that military intervention doesn't work in Afghanistan, and that the fate of the country must be in the hands of the Afghan people themselves. 

As a neighbor of Afghanistan, China has actively supported the country's peaceful development. In the past year, the Chinese government provided 300 million yuan in emergency aid to Afghanistan and actively implemented 1 billion yuan in bilateral aid.

Starting next month, China will implement zero tariff on 98 percent of items imported from Afghanistan, which is another important initiative to support the local people with practical actions to generate income and improve their livelihood.

China will continue to work with the international community to support Afghanistan's participation in regional cooperation and connectivity, unleash its geopolitical advantages, and achieve stability and prosperity. 

Delegations from other countries including Pakistan also pointed out that the international community needs to engage meaningfully with the Afghan Taliban if it is to help Afghanistan develop.

Global Times