'China can play huge role in Afghanistan's development'

BEIJING: China has played a constructive role in promoting peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and is welcome to contribute to the country’s rebuilding process, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Chinese state media. 

The Taliban spokesman made these remarks in his first interaction with the Chinese media after the Taliban took control over Kabul, earlier this week.

“China is a big country with a huge economy and capacity – I think they can play a very big role in the rebuilding, rehabilitation, reconstruction of Afghanistan,” Shaheen told CGTN television, in an interview late on Thursday.

Shaheen denied any involvement in the incident that took place at the Kabul airport and added that the Taliban have nothing to do with it.

Earlier this week, China had said it is willing to develop “friendly relations” with the Taliban after they seized control of Afghanistan.

Read more: CHINA SAYS READY FOR ‘FRIENDLY RELATIONS’ WITH TALIBAN

“China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently determine their own destiny and is willing to continue to develop… friendly and cooperative relations with Afghanistan,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying had told reporters on Monday.

The Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan was over after they took control of the presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday after US-led forces departed and Western nations scrambled to evacuate their citizens.