The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China respects the wishes and choices of the Afghan people, and the UN Secretary-General has called for the protection of life and human rights
"The war in Afghanistan is over." On August 15, local time, Afghan Taliban spokesman Mohammed Naim said in an interview with Al Jazeera.
On the same day, the Taliban have officially entered Kabul and taken control of the country's capital for the second time, which is also the first time that the Taliban have returned to Kabul 20 years after the US invasion of Afghanistan.
President Ashraf Ghani, who has left Afghanistan, said on social media that he left to "avoid bloodshed.".
On the evening of Aug. 15, another Taliban spokesman, Zabiula Mujahid, said on social media that all diplomatic missions and foreign personnel stationed there would not be any danger after Taliban forces entered Kabul. But several countries, including the United States, have closed their embassies and evacuated diplomats.
Parts of Kabul have fallen into chaos. Foreign media reported that the chaos at the International Airport in Kabul, the Afghan capital, has killed at least five people and injured many others.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the spokesman of the Afghan Taliban announced on the 15th that Taliban armed personnel have entered and taken control of the capital Kabul. In response to this major change in the situation in Afghanistan, the United States and France have accelerated the evacuation of overseas Chinese, and Iran has taken measures to prepare to accept Afghan refugees. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed grave concern about the rapid development of the situation in Afghanistan and urged the Taliban and all Afghan parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian needs are met.
The US State Department and the Department of Defense issued a joint statement on the 15th, saying that the US side is gradually ensuring the safety of Kabul airport so that US and allied personnel can leave safely in civilian and military aircraft. The U.S. military's military presence in Kabul over the next 48 hours will increase to nearly 6,000, with missions limited to supporting the evacuation of personnel and taking over air traffic control.
The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 15th that in the face of the sharp deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, the French government decided to move the embassy in Afghanistan to Kabul Airport and actively carry out the evacuation of French expatriates.
At the same time, Mohammed Naim, spokesman for the Afghan Taliban Political Office in Doha, posted on social media on the 15th that all foreign embassies, diplomatic missions, foreign enterprises and residences of foreign citizens in Kabul will not be dangerous. Taliban forces will be tasked with ensuring security in kabul and all afghan cities.
Iran's Ministry of Interior said on the 15th that considering the recent developments in Afghanistan, it is expected that a large number of Afghan refugees will pour into Iran. Iran's Interior Ministry has prepared temporary shelters in three provinces bordering Afghanistan to receive refugees on the basis of ensuring epidemic prevention.
UnCom Secretary-General Guterres said in a press release sent to the media by his office on the 15th that he urged the Taliban and all Afghan parties to exercise the utmost restraint to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian needs can be met. Guterres said the conflict forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Serious human rights violations continue to be reported in the areas most affected by the fighting. He was particularly concerned about the future of women and girls, stressing that "their hard-won rights must be protected and all abuses must cease". He pledged that the United Nations would continue to contribute to the peaceful settlement of the Afghan problem, to the promotion of the human rights of all Afghans, especially women and girls, and to provide humanitarian assistance and vital support to civilians in need.
■ Attention
Foreign Ministry: China respects the wishes and choices of the Afghan people
According to Xinhua News Agency, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying answered reporters' questions on the situation in Afghanistan at a regular news conference on 16 July.
A reporter asked: The situation in Afghanistan is developing rapidly, how does China evaluate the current situation in Afghanistan?
Hua Chunying said: The situation in Afghanistan has undergone major changes, and we respect the will and choice of the Afghan people. The war in Afghanistan has lasted for more than 40 years, and stopping the war and achieving peace is not only the unanimous voice of the more than 30 million Afghan people, but also the common expectation of the international community and regional countries.
She said that the Chinese side noted that yesterday the Afghan Taliban said that the war in Afghanistan has ended, and it will negotiate the establishment of an open and inclusive Islamic government and take responsible actions to ensure the security of Afghan citizens and foreign missions in Afghanistan. China hopes that these statements will be implemented to ensure a smooth transition in the situation in Afghanistan, curb all kinds of terrorist and criminal acts, and keep the Afghan people away from war and rebuild a better homeland.
A reporter asked: Does China have any contacts with the Taliban? Is the Taliban regime recognized?
Hua Chunying said: On the basis of fully respecting Afghanistan's national sovereignty and the wishes of various factions in the country, China has maintained contacts and communication with the Afghan Taliban and others, and has always played a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the Afghan issue. On July 28, State Councilor Wang Yi met with Baradal and his party in Tianjin, head of the Afghan Taliban Political Committee.
"We hope that the Afghan Taliban will unite with all Afghan parties and all ethnic groups to establish a broad and inclusive political structure that is in line with Afghanistan's own national conditions and lay the foundation for lasting peace in Afghanistan." Hua Chunying said.
She said that the Afghan Taliban have repeatedly stated that they hope to develop good relations with China, look forward to China's participation in The reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, and will never allow any forces to use Afghan territory to do things that endanger China. We welcome that. For a long time, China has always respected the sovereign independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, never interfered in Afghanistan's internal affairs, and always pursued a friendly policy for all The Afghan people. China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny and future, and is willing to continue to develop good-neighborly, friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan and play a constructive role in peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
Another reporter asked: The United States and Europe and other countries are urgently evacuating, does China have any plans to withdraw the museum? Are Chinese personnel safe in Afghanistan?
Hua Chunying said: The Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan is still operating normally, and the Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan and its personnel are still performing their duties. Most of the Albanian citizens have returned to China in advance under the arrangements of the embassy. There are still some sporadic personnel who have volunteered to remain, with whom the Embassy maintains close contact, and they are safe for the time being. The Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan will continue to pay close attention to the development of the situation in Afghanistan and provide necessary services and assistance to every Chinese citizen in Afghanistan.
■ Narration
Chinese in Kabul:
The Taliban issued a notice to the people and sporadic gunshots were heard in the streets
Yesterday, Li Xijing, a Chinese citizen in Kabul, told reporters that at 2:30 p.m. local time on the 15th, a colleague sent a message saying that the Taliban had entered Kabul and saw Taliban soldiers leisure in a nearby park. "I didn't see Taliban soldiers patrolling the streets, my friend said I did. When I went to a friend's house last night, I saw Taliban Humvee armored vehicles on the road. ”
Li Xijing said that at present, the life of locals in Kabul is still normal, but there are few pedestrians on the streets and very few vehicles. "But this afternoon there are a lot of vehicles at the intersection in front of Chinatown, and there is a significant increase in armed guard vehicles. The traffic jam was so severe that my colleagues and I spent an extra two hours on the road back to Chinatown from the factory. I am currently living temporarily at the home of a local friend in Afghanistan, whose house is currently working fine. ”
Li Xijing introduced that the Taliban has now issued a notice on the safety of the people, allowing people to live and work normally. "I don't see the local Afghans panicking and are living normally at the moment. I don't know how many people are fleeing at the moment, but I see a lot of people on social media going to Kabul airport. Order on the streets outside is currently good, and although sporadic gunfire can be heard from time to time, Afghan friends say it is the sound of gunfire to combat looting. ”
For the next step, Li Xijing has not yet made plans. "The staff in Chinatown are all good at the moment. Chinatown also has strict security precautions. My colleagues and I in the factory are still undecided. ”
People of Kabul, Afghanistan:
No one could have predicted that the Taliban would come so quickly
Amini, a local citizen in Kabul, told reporters that he currently has no shortage of daily necessities and the supply of daily resources has not been disrupted. "People still travel normally, after all, people need to work to earn money to support their families, but the unnecessary movement of people has indeed decreased." One noticeable change compared to previous days is that many businesses are closing their doors. ”
Amini said he, like many people in Kabul, remains in shock. "When I got up yesterday (15th), Ghani was still in Afghanistan. Today (16th) woke up, and it was already a completely different government ruling the country. No one could have predicted that the Taliban would come so quickly. As to why the Afghan Government has failed to fight back against the Taliban, many questions remain unanswered. The Afghan government behaves as if they welcomed the Taliban's occupation of cities. ”
In a statement, the Taliban said: "No one's life, property and dignity will be harmed, and the lives and safety of Kabul citizens will not be in danger." "But there are still many people who choose to leave Kabul.
Amini told reporters that there are rumors that there is no need for a visa to go to Canada, and people can go directly from Kabul airport to Canada, so thousands of people have gone to the airport.
Armini said that he has no plans to leave for the time being, but is more worried about the current situation, and has no plans to go out to work in recent days, "I want to wait and see how things develop."
■ viewpoint
"The most important thing at the moment is the internal integration of Afghanistan to see if the Taliban can form a stable regime."
The speed with which the situation in Afghanistan is changing is unexpected. What will Afghanistan look like under the Taliban after 20 years of chaos? What does the future hold for Afghanistan? Yesterday, reporters connected Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Afghan Research Center of Lanzhou University, Li Shaoxian, dean of the Chinese Arab Research Institute of Ningxia University, yin Gang, researcher of the Institute of West Asia and Africa of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and three experts on the Afghan issue to make a comprehensive interpretation of the situation in Afghanistan.
The Taliban are in a state of flux
Beijing News: A few days ago, it was widely predicted that it would take a month or more for the Taliban to arrive in Kabul, but by August 15 they had taken control of Kabul. Why did the Taliban quickly control the entire country of Afghanistan?
Zhu Yongbiao: The speed at which the situation in Afghanistan is changing is really unexpected. It can be said that the arrival of the Taliban in Kabul is a stampede effect under the combined action of various factors.
First of all, the U.S. Afghanistan policy has hit the morale of the Afghan government forces hard, they no longer know who to fight for and why, they have lost the goal and motivation to fight, and naturally they are routing.
Second, the Taliban's own comprehensive strategy is relatively successful, forming a relatively good demonstration effect. For example, in the early provincial capitals, the Taliban did not take extreme actions, and the local people felt that the Taliban became more moderate, and slowly other places accepted the Taliban.
Third, many of the Afghan government's policies have failed, such as repeatedly attacking local forces and competitors, and the party's practice of fighting against others is very unpopular. However, the Ghani government struck at many people, but alone did not weaken the Taliban, and eventually left the Taliban with little resistance along the way.
Li Shaoxian: There are many reasons why the Taliban can quickly control the whole country. First, the United States abandoned the Afghan government, which caused the Afghan government forces to lose their fighting spirit. Second, the Taliban's strategic tactics were more effective, including persuading the Afghan warlord Ismail Khan to surrender, which had a very big impact. In contrast, the Afghan government forces have problems such as corruption and constant contradictions with local forces, and they are unable to cope with them.
Yin Gang: The Taliban were able to quickly control the whole country because the Afghan people did not want to continue to fight and did not want to have any more wars. Therefore, the people and the government of the provinces of Afghanistan are unwilling to resist the Taliban, and the Taliban naturally reach the capital smoothly. To some extent, this is also a cooperation between the Afghan people and the Taliban.
In fact, this also reflects that the withdrawal of US troops is a good thing for Afghanistan, and without foreign interference, Afghans can solve the problem on their own.
The future of Afghanistan
Beijing News: What kind of government will the Taliban form?
Li Shaoxian: Exactly what kind of government the Taliban will form is still unclear. But what is certain is that the original form of transitional government negotiated between the Taliban and the central government is probably obsolete, and the Taliban have now taken over the government directly and are about to establish their own government.
However, key figures such as former President Karzai and Afghan National Reconciliation Commission High Commissioner Abdullah may still be involved in setting up a consultative committee to help pacify the population and stabilize the country as soon as possible.
Zhu Yongbiao: The regime formed by the Taliban may be a new regime that has been slightly modified on the basis of the original Islamic emirate. This revision is reflected in two aspects, one is the revision of extremist ideology, and the other is the revision of social policy, which may be more moderate in the future.
In addition, the Taliban will focus more on power-sharing and political consultation, for example, by incorporating northern and central forces into the new government and involving people like Karzai. But the regime is certainly dominated by the Taliban, and at the same time remains the form of an Islamic emirate whose core content will remain.
Beijing News: Some people are worried that Afghanistan will return to what it was 20 years ago. Do you think it will?
Li Shaoxian: Today's Taliban is very different from 20 years ago, and we must realize this.
As can be seen from its recent behavior, its policies have become more flexible and moderate. For example, after the occupation of the city, there will be a notice of safety, and then some people in the city will continue to work normally, including female employees. Externally, the Taliban have also been more moderate. Previously, Taliban representatives visited many countries, including China, and repeatedly promised that Afghanistan would not become a place that threatened the interests of third countries. From this point of view, the Taliban will not be the Taliban of 20 years ago.
Yin Gang: For the Taliban, this time they return to Kabul, they are definitely different from the first time. Along the way, the Taliban have done a lot of propaganda, and the people are more at ease and gradually accept them. Former President Karzai and others have remained in Kabul and will participate in the political reconstruction process in Afghanistan in the future. Externally, the Taliban have also repeatedly promised that they will not repeat past massacres and revenge after taking over power, nor will they adhere to extreme Sharia law as they have in the past.
Beyond that, if the Taliban returns to the extreme policies of the past, it cannot last and may soon be overthrown again. The Taliban therefore do not dare to follow the past practices.
Beijing News: After the Taliban take power, what problems will Afghanistan face?
Zhu Yongbiao: There are still many challenges facing the Taliban coming to power, both internally and externally. It can be said that it is predictable that Afghanistan will still face great difficulties in achieving complete stability and long-term peace and stability.
There may still be some small-scale conflicts within Afghanistan in the future, but large conflicts should be avoidable unless the Taliban are at loggerheads over power-sharing with other forces.
Yin Gang: For Afghanistan, this change should be a national reconciliation.
There may be some chaos in Afghanistan during the transition of power, but it should be quelled soon. The Afghan people will never resist the Taliban, then cooperate, and then they can jointly build the country and achieve national reconciliation. At present, Afghanistan is moving in this direction. Therefore, I am still relatively optimistic about the prospects of Afghanistan.
The international community should pay close attention to the development of the situation in Afghanistan
Beijing News: In the face of changes in Afghanistan, some countries have expressed concern. How do you think the international community should respond at this time?
Zhu Yongbiao: At present, the international community mainly needs to pay close attention to the development of the situation in Afghanistan, on the one hand, to see whether the Taliban will fulfill its commitments and make changes; second, to pay attention to whether there will be a large-scale humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan.
In the event of a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the international community may need to provide assistance or intervene. But the most important thing now is the integration of Afghanistan to see if the Taliban can reach a compromise with other forces to form a stable regime.
Li Shaoxian: The international community is still worried about Afghanistan. One is the fear that when the Taliban come to power, there will be a large number of refugees, many of whom will flee the country. The second is the fear that if Afghanistan is once again plunged into a long period of war, the place may once again become a gathering place for Islamic extremist forces and international terrorist forces.
For now, the Taliban have quickly taken power, the refugee crisis has declined, and the risk of becoming a terrorist hotspot again has decreased. But what the future holds still needs to be paid attention to the behavior of the Taliban after coming to power.
Beijing News: Will the Taliban come to power have an impact on the regional situation?
Zhu Yongbiao: The Taliban's coming to power may have some impact on the surrounding situation, and its domestic security situation may spill over to the surrounding areas. In addition, it is important to pay attention to ideological shocks, that is, to guard against the rise of extremism. However, at present, this impact is not obvious.
Yin Gang: After the Taliban come to power, they will try to maintain good relations with all neighboring countries. There have also been repeated commitments that they will not pose a threat to regional security. In fact, as long as the Taliban stabilize and control the situation, it will gradually gain the recognition of the international community.
Beijing News reporter Xie Lian Luan Ruoxi trainee reporter Chen Yikai Xiang Chenyu