BEIJING, September 13. / TASS /. The Chinese authorities respect the decision made by the Russian leadership not to participate in the previously-announced inauguration ceremony of the new Afghan government, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated on Monday.
"Whether to take part in the inauguration ceremony or not is one’s right of choice, which each country makes independently. China respects this right," the diplomat said at a briefing, commenting on Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s statement, according to which Russia refrained from participating in this ceremony in any capacity.
Also, Lijian noted that the establishment of the Afghan government was an internal political issue. "No forces have the right to use Afghan territory to cause harm to other countries," the Chinese diplomat stressed.
On September 10, the Kremlin spokesman announced that Russia would not take part in the inauguration ceremony of the new Afghan government in any capacity. On the same day, the Taliban (banned in Russia) canceled the ceremony. Russia’s Ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov noted that the Taliban had too much work to do and that they had no time for ‘fanfare’ such as an inauguration.
On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. On September 6, the Taliban took over the entire country, while the next day, it announced the new interim Afghan government, which included only members of the radical movement itself, the vast majority of whom are Pashtuns.