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China Urges US to Immediately Unfreeze Afghanistan's Foreign Assets, Foreign Ministry Says

CC0 / WhisperToMe / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China headquarters
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China headquarters - Sputnik International, 1920, 22.11.2021
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BEIJING (Sputnik) - China has called on the United States to unfreeze Afghanistan's foreign assets without delay, stressing that the sanctions exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the country, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters on Monday.
"Unilateral sanctions, and especially the freezing of Afghanistan's foreign assets, are collective punishment for the entire Afghan people, which exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe in the country," Zhao said at a briefing.
He noted that the frozen assets should not be used as a bargaining chip for threats and intimidation and must be returned to their real owners as soon as possible.
At the same time, Zhao stressed that the international community must strengthen its cooperation and coordination to provide timely assistance and support to Afghanistan.
"China, being a friendly neighbour and a loyal friend of Afghanistan, within the framework of its capabilities, provides assistance in the peaceful reconstruction and economic development of the country," Zhao added.
In September, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing decided to urgently provide Afghanistan 200 million yuan ($30.9 million) worth of assistance, mostly food, winter goods, COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.
Since the takeover in mid-August by Taliban*, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have suspended financial aid which previously accounted for nearly 75% of Afghanistan's public expenditure, while the US froze billions of dollars in assets belonging to the Afghan Central Bank.
The population of the country is currently battered by the deepening economic, humanitarian, and security crises.
*Organization is under UN sanctions over terrorist activities
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