Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, speaks at the UN Security Council Briefing on UNAMA on March 9, 2026. Photo: Screenshot from CCTV News

Improving people's livelihoods is a top priority in Afghanistan, and the Afghan government and all parties concerned should work together to promote the stability and development in Afghanistan and its early integration into the international community, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), on Monday.

Speaking at the UN Security Council Briefing on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Fu said that at present, Afghanistan is facing multiple challenges, including on humanitarian, development, counter-terrorism and human rights. 

Stressing that improving people's livelihoods is a top priority, Fu said that in Afghanistan, explosive remnants of war continue to cause civilian casualties, while the return of millions of refugees and frequent natural disasters further exacerbate the humanitarian crises and development challenges.

Regrettably, some countries have drastically reduced or even halted their assistance to Afghanistan, forcing many relief programs of the UN and international humanitarian agencies to shut down last year. As a result, problems such as food insecurity, public health challenges, and malnutrition among children and pregnant women have become even more severe, Fu noted.

"We call on traditional donors, especially those countries that bear historical responsibility for Afghanistan, to immediately resume and increase assistance and translate the concerns for the Afghan people into concrete actions. The overseas assets of Afghanistan's central bank belong to the Afghan people. Relevant countries should return them in full and lift illegal unilateral sanctions on the country," the Chinese envoy noted.

China welcomes the multiple meetings held by working groups on private sector development and counter-narcotics under the Doha process and the positive progress achieved. We support these working groups to play a positive role in improving Afghanistan's financial system and promoting alternative cultivation, thereby helping Afghanistan strengthen its capacity for self-sustained development, Fu said. 

The Chinese envoy added that safeguarding the basic rights and interests of the people is a necessity in Afghanistan, given that in recent years, Afghan girls have not been able to receive modern education beyond the sixth grade, and women's basic rights and interests such as employment, and access to health care, public services, and participation in social life have become increasingly restricted.

"We hope that the Afghan authorities will demonstrate openness, inclusiveness, and a sense of responsibility by listening to the legitimate aspirations of their people and the reasonable concerns of the international community, promptly adjusting relevant policies, and safeguarding the basic rights of all people, including women, so as to gain greater trust and support from the international community," Fu told the UN briefing.

Noting that eliminating terrorism is a foundation of security, Fu stressed that China strongly condemns and firmly opposes terrorism in all its forms, and urges the Afghan government to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the facts as soon as possible and bring the perpetrators to justice, in view of the terrorist attack on a Chinese restaurant in Kabul in January that caused multiple casualties, including Chinese nationals.

Given that the recent escalation of conflicts between Pakistan and Afghanistan has caused heavy casualties on both sides, Fu said that China is deeply concerned and saddened by this development. 

"We call on both sides to remain calm and exercise restraint, realize a ceasefire as soon as possible, and promptly and properly resolve the differences through dialogue and negotiation. China has been actively mediating the Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions through its own channels, and stands ready to continue playing a constructive role in easing the situation and improving the relations between the two countries," the Chinese envoy said.

Global Times