AGL 38.50 Increased By ▲ 0.93 (2.48%)
AIRLINK 131.46 Decreased By ▼ -1.04 (-0.78%)
BOP 5.60 Decreased By ▼ -0.04 (-0.71%)
CNERGY 3.83 Increased By ▲ 0.06 (1.59%)
DCL 8.65 Decreased By ▼ -0.22 (-2.48%)
DFML 40.80 Decreased By ▼ -0.20 (-0.49%)
DGKC 89.00 Decreased By ▼ -1.16 (-1.29%)
FCCL 35.25 Increased By ▲ 0.17 (0.48%)
FFBL 66.45 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-0.08%)
FFL 10.49 Increased By ▲ 0.34 (3.35%)
HUBC 109.45 Increased By ▲ 3.05 (2.87%)
HUMNL 14.66 Increased By ▲ 1.26 (9.4%)
KEL 4.82 Decreased By ▼ -0.04 (-0.82%)
KOSM 7.05 Increased By ▲ 0.20 (2.92%)
MLCF 42.23 Increased By ▲ 0.43 (1.03%)
NBP 59.06 Increased By ▲ 0.48 (0.82%)
OGDC 183.65 Increased By ▲ 2.40 (1.32%)
PAEL 25.55 Decreased By ▼ -0.15 (-0.58%)
PIBTL 5.91 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (1.37%)
PPL 147.47 Decreased By ▼ -0.93 (-0.63%)
PRL 23.45 Increased By ▲ 0.23 (0.99%)
PTC 16.57 Increased By ▲ 1.33 (8.73%)
SEARL 69.20 Increased By ▲ 0.41 (0.6%)
TELE 7.22 Decreased By ▼ -0.02 (-0.28%)
TOMCL 35.75 Decreased By ▼ -0.25 (-0.69%)
TPLP 7.57 Increased By ▲ 0.17 (2.3%)
TREET 14.15 Decreased By ▼ -0.09 (-0.63%)
TRG 50.71 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-0.28%)
UNITY 26.83 Increased By ▲ 0.43 (1.63%)
WTL 1.22 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.83%)
BR100 9,805 Increased By 37.5 (0.38%)
BR30 29,768 Increased By 367.7 (1.25%)
KSE100 92,279 Increased By 341.3 (0.37%)
KSE30 28,807 Increased By 63.7 (0.22%)

KABUL: China's ambassador touted trade and investment plans for Afghanistan on Tuesday, a public endorsement for doing business in the Taliban-controlled country after an earthquake drew attention to the humanitarian consequences of Western sanctions.

At a rare press conference alongside the Taliban administration's acting minister for disaster management, Ambassador Wang Yu announced $8 million in aid for relief from the June 22 earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people.

"Besides emergency humanitarian aid, after the political changes last year and after the earthquake, we also have long-term economic reconstruction plans," he said. The priority would be trade, followed by investment, as well as agriculture.

No country has formally recognised the Taliban, who seized power last year after the United States and its allies abruptly withdrew troops following 20 years of war.

China to provide $7.5mn in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan

Western countries say the sanctions, which include freezing billions of dollars in Afghan reserves, can be lifted only if the militants meet conditions such as lifting restrictions on participation in public life for women and girls. Some aid agencies complained that sanctions curtailed their ability to assist after last month's earthquake.

China, which shares a remote border with Afghanistan and derives influence among its neighbours from its huge "Belt and Road" investment initiative, has consistently called for sanctions to be lifted.

The ambassador said negotiations were going on for two major mining projects, including Mes Aynak, a copper mine in southern Afghanistan that a Chinese state-owned company has rights to under an arrangement brokered with the previous Afghan government. Afghanistan's largely untapped mineral reserves include large deposits of iron ore and copper.

Taliban appeal for more aid after deadly Afghanistan earthquake

Taliban administration officials, including the group's Supreme Leader in a speech at a gathering last week, have said the country needs to become less dependent on aid and encourage business.

Speaking of Afghan reserves frozen in Western banks, Wang said: "China always thinks that money belongs to the Afghan people ... China has always called on the international community...for the release of the funds."

Comments

Comments are closed.