BEIJING (TASS) – The failure of the United States in Afghanistan did not make Washington change its habit of interfering in the affairs of other nations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin wrote on Twitter.
“The U.S. has failed in Afghanistan, but still hasn’t changed its habit of meddling in other countries’ internal affairs in the name of democracy and human rights, and stoking division and confrontation around the world. This would only lead the U.S. to new and greater failures,” the diplomat wrote.
“The international community needs to jointly reject the U.S.’s recklessness of creating chaos and turbulence in the name of democracy and human rights, and prevent another tragedy of Afghanistan in our world,” he added.
Wang Wenbin said what was going on in Afghanistan was a living proof of the failure of Washington’s program of “democratic transformation.”
He added the two-decade occupation of Afghanistan “has reduced the country to rubble, ruined the future of an entire generation of Afghans, killed 174,000 people including more than 30,000 civilians, and made tens of millions refugees.”
“The U.S. must take responsibility for all of this.”
After the U.S. administration had announced the end of Washington’s 20-year-long occupation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban embarked on an offensive against Afghan government forces. On August 15, 2021, Taliban militants swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours.
On September 6, the Taliban declared a complete victory in Afghanistan and on September 7 formed an interim government which hasn’t yet been officially recognized by any country.
The country has since been in turmoil. The United States and its allies have largely suspended their financial assistance to Afghanistan.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has frozen nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank since the withdrawal of its occupation forces.
“Millions of Afghans are struggling on the verge of death,” Wang said. “About three million Afghan children are too poor to go to school. And 18.9 million people face acute food shortage. The US must take responsibility for all of this.”
The Chinese diplomat urged the international community to “be highly vigilant, jointly reject the U.S.’s recklessness of creating chaos and turbulence in the name of democracy and human rights, and prevent another tragedy of Afghanistan in our world.”
Under pressure from Washington, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have also suspended activities in Afghanistan, withholding aid as well as $340 million in new reserves issued by the IMF.