UK-China Statement on Afghanistan
UK Foreign Secretary and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi agree long term commitment to future security and stability in Afghanistan
China and the UK remain committed to their long term support for the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and its people. The future security and stability of Afghanistan is of vital concern to us, and we will continue to work closely together and with the international community to achieve a prosperous future for Afghanistan.
We reaffirm our commitment to support an Afghan owned and Afghan led political settlement to the Afghan conflict. As members of the P5 we continue to support international efforts to assist the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in bringing safety and security to Afghanistan. Both sides express sympathy with the Afghan victims of the conflict and remain deeply concerned by the increasing rates of civilian casualties. The two countries pay tribute to the effort and sacrifices of the international community, including UN-mandated international security forces, for the peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Both sides, along with the government of Afghanistan, agree to establish trilateral cooperation. On infrastructure development, we plan to bring together Afghan, British and Chinese expertise to support development of Afghan institutions and improve delivery of much-needed infrastructure.
We will continue to work with each other and Afghanistan’s regional partners, including the Heart of Asia – Istanbul process, to help develop the economy, improve the security situation and implement the ambitious reform programme being led by the Government of Afghanistan.
We will also work closely together to prevent the flow of weapons and support to all terrorist, violent and extremist groups. The UK and China condemn the terrorist acts against civilians, diplomatic missions and humanitarian and development workers. Such attacks are against the interests of Afghanistan and its people. Both our countries face threats from terrorism and have a shared interest in helping the Government of Afghanistan deal with the threat of international terrorists operating within its borders.
We recognise that humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are increasing. In particular, the rising numbers of internally displaced persons and Afghans returning from Pakistan and Iran will require immediate humanitarian assistance, as well as longer-term development support to integrate effectively. The UK and China are committed to working with humanitarian agencies to meet urgent, life-saving needs of the most vulnerable across Afghanistan.
Further information
- Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
- Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn