Beijing Calls for Ending Sanctions on Afghanistan

During a virtual conference of G20 Ministers on Afghanistan, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed that sanctions on Afghanistan should be lifted immediately.

He detailed that Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves are assets owned by Afghanis and ought not to be used to exert political pressure on Afghanistan.

After the Taliban seized control over Afghanistan, Washington swiftly blocked access to $9.5 billion in international reserves and pressured the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to suspend the transfer of more than $400 million in cash.

In a statement, the IMF spokesman asserted that due to a lack of clarity within the international community regarding recognizing the new government, Afghanistan is unable to its IMF funds or resources.

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN, has called on the Security Council to consider developing a plan to exempt the Taliban from future sanctions, detailing that the prime responsibility of the UN is to deal with the Taliban and provide humanitarian assistance.