China calls for lifting educational restrictions on Afghan girls

Kabul Times News | Report: Shahbanu Noori

China’s permanent representative to the United Nations has stressed the need to ensure the fundamental rights of the Afghan people at a meeting of the organization’s Security Council and called for the lifting of educational and training restrictions on Afghan girls.

Fu Kong, China’s representative to the United Nations, stated at a special meeting of the Security Council on Afghanistan that Beijing supports the removal of all educational barriers for Afghan girls and considers their access to education a basic and fundamental right.

Referring to the current situation in Afghanistan, he said that despite the relative improvement in security and general stability in the country, extensive challenges in the areas of humanitarian aid, economic development and counter-terrorism still persist and require serious attention and cooperation from the international community.

The Chinese representative emphasized that the ruling authorities in Afghanistan and the international community should strive to improve the living conditions of Afghan citizens and achieve lasting peace and stability through dialogue, trust-building and practical cooperation.

Fu Kong also considered the role of regional cooperation important in supporting the stability of Afghanistan, adding that the expansion of Afghanistan's relations with regional countries in recent years has helped reduce tensions and strengthen regional security.

He supported the international community's continued engagement and dialogue with the Taliban, saying that existing differences should be resolved through negotiation, consensus and joint cooperation.

The Chinese representative further welcomed regional and international initiatives, including the Afghanistan Neighboring Countries Meeting, the Moscow Process, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the UN-led Doha Process, and considered these mechanisms as a platform for strengthening Afghanistan's connection with the international community.

Fu Kong also called for facilitating travel exemptions for Taliban officials, emphasizing that political and diplomatic engagements can facilitate the process of international dialogue and cooperation.

In another part of his speech, he referred to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and warned that millions of Afghan citizens are still dependent on humanitarian aid and many families are facing serious economic and livelihood problems.

The Chinese representative called on donor countries to increase their financial and humanitarian support for Afghanistan. He also emphasized the need to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets and lift unilateral sanctions.

According to Fu Kong, Afghanistan’s achievement of sustainable stability and all-round development requires the continued support of the international community, strengthening the national economy, and improving the living conditions of the country’s people.