BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Afghanistan and U.S.-China relations in a phone call on Sunday, Chinese state media said, amid tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Wang said it is necessary for all sides to engage with the Taliban and “positively guide” them, according to Chinese state television.
Wang said that Washington should work with the international community to provide economic and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, help the new regime run governmental functions normally, maintain social stability, stop the currency from depreciating and the cost of living from rising.
“While respecting the sovereignty of Afghanistan, the U.S. should take concrete action to help Afghanistan fight terrorism and stop violence, rather than playing double standards or fighting terrorism selectively,” Wang was quoted as telling Blinken on a call that Chinese state TV said was made at the invitation of Washington.
On U.S.-China ties, Wang said recent communications between the two countries on Afghanistan and climate change show that dialogue and cooperation are better than confrontation.
“China will consider how to engage with the U.S. side based on the U.S. attitude towards China,” Wang was quoted as saying.
(Reporting by Yew Lun Tian and Tony Munroe; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Hugh Lawson)
