London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

China Wants Sanctions On Afghanistan Lifted, Its Forex Reserves Released

China Wants Sanctions On Afghanistan Lifted, Its Forex Reserves Released

Addressing the G20 Foreign Ministers, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi demanded the rushing of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan without any delay.
China on Thursday called for the lifting of sanctions against the Taliban-administered Afghanistan and urged the US not to use the frozen foreign exchange reserves of the war-torn country as a "bargaining chip" to exert political pressure on the hardline terrorist group.

Addressing the G20 Foreign Ministers via a video link, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also demanded the rushing of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan without any delay.

"Humanitarian assistance is a task which brooks no delay. We should redouble efforts on and speed up the provision of assistance to Afghanistan, and in particular, lend the Afghan people a helping hand in time to address their most urgent needs," a foreign ministry statement quoted Wang as saying.

He highlighted China's decision to provide 200-million-yuan ($31 million) aid, which included three million vaccines.

Wang also asked the US to release frozen foreign reserves of Afghanistan's central bank.

According to reports from Washington, the US has frozen about $9.5 billion in assets belonging to Afghanistan's central bank and stopped shipments of cash to Kabul, in a bid to keep the Taliban government from accessing the money.

"The economic sanctions must be stopped. All kinds of unilateral sanctions or restrictions on Afghanistan should be lifted," Wang asserted.

"Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves are its national assets, and should be owned by and used for the people, rather than being used as a bargaining chip to exert political pressure on Afghanistan," he said, adding that G20 members should actively take practical steps to help Afghanistan ease the current liquidity stress.

International financial institutions should also provide financing support for poverty reduction, sustainable development, livelihood and infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, he said.

After the Taliban's seizure of power in Afghanistan last month, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank halted their aid to the war-torn country which largely depends upon the flow of foreign funds.

According to reports from Kabul, Afghanistan's economy is near collapse even as the United Nations has made hectic efforts to galvanise global efforts to rush food and essential supplies.

The Taliban, whose interim government is yet to be recognised, have earlier asked the US to release its frozen foreign exchange reserves and threatened to take legal action.

"Both the symptoms and root causes of the refugee issue must be addressed. The United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries should take the primary responsibility for solving the issue of Afghan refugees and migrants," he said.

Wang also spoke about China, Pakistan and Russia's initiatives to step up contacts with the Taliban.

The special envoys of the three countries held talks with top Taliban officials in Kabul as well as former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, President of the Council for National Reconciliation under the previous government, during the past two days.

"First Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Afghan Issue among the Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan and the Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers of China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran on the Afghan Issue reached a consensus, sending a clear signal of creating a favourable external environment for the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan," Wang said.

Also, the world community support the efforts of Afghanistan “eventually building a broad and inclusive political structure which respects the basic rights of minority groups, women and children, and pursues a foreign policy of peace advocating good neighbourliness with all countries, especially with neighbouring countries,” he said.

The counter-terrorism cooperation needs to be deepened, he added. “Afghanistan must earnestly honour its commitments by making a clean break with and resolutely fighting all kinds of international terrorist forces,” Wang said.

He said the international community should build a united front against terrorism, oppose double standards and selective counter-terrorism, and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a breeding ground and shelter for terrorism again.

"Afghanistan should make its administration more inclusive and predictable, and the international community should work in a down-to-earth manner to help Afghanistan accelerate reconstruction so as to fundamentally reduce the number of new refugees and migrants,” he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×