Beijing - Xi Jinping on Thursday issued a strong backing for Afghanistan at a regional conference, remaining silent on the alleged human rights abuses in the country.

Xi pledged China’s support in a message to a gathering of representatives from Afghanistan, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in a central Chinese city, displaying Beijing’s aspirations to play a leading role in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. forces during last August.

A “peaceful, stable, developed and prosperous Afghanistan” is what Afghans aspire to, which “serves the common interests of regional countries and the international community,” Xi said.

China has already shipped emergency aid to Afghanistan and is looking to develop copper mining there.

China follows what it calls a strict policy of “non-intervention” in other countries’ internal affairs, including opposing those staged for humanitarian purposes unless sanctioned by the United Nations. Despite that, Beijing is frequently accused of meddling to further its own domestic and international interests.

Wang also made a surprise stop in Kabul last week to meet Taliban leaders, even as the international community fumed over the hard-line movement’s broken promise a day earlier to open schools to girls beyond the sixth grade.
-AP