#XiAfghanPloy: China Appoints New Special Envoy to Afghanistan after US Exit

World

On Wednesday, China has announced that it has replaced its special envoy to Afghanistan amid growing tension in XinJiang province from Uyghur militants. This decision had come out in times when United Stated of America had already called their troops back.  Zhao Lijian, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman had announced that the present special envoy to Afghanistan Liu Jian will be replaced by former Chinese ambassador to Qatar, Jordan and Ireland, Yue Xiao Yong.

Liu has served as China’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Malaysia and Pakistan before he was appointed as special envoy to Afghanistan early last year. Zhao said in a news briefing, “China will always communicate and coordinate with all the parties and will continue to play a role for peace and stability in Afghanistan, as Afghan issue is now on international forum”.

On other hand, Taliban has increased its military movement in Afghanistan, capturing border points with Iran, Pakistan and China. A large number of militants from the separatist East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) gathered in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Province, which shares 90-km long border with Xinjiang province.

Observers believes that China’s massive crackdown in Xinjiang, infuriate the resentment among Uyghur Muslims in the province. China is also accused of committing genocide in this region. Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister has asked the Taliban to make a clean break with all terrorist forces and return to the mainstream Afghan Politics. He also praised the Afghan government and said President Ashraf Ghani has done a tremendous work for national unity, social stability and improvement of people’s livelihood.

Suhail Shaheen, Taliban spokesman, said they see China as a friend and would not allow China’s Uyghur separatist fighters from Xinjiang to operate from Afghanistan.