Beijing to Work With Moscow to Prevent Afghanistan Security Threats From Spilling Over

What’s new: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Afghan issue in a phone conversation Wednesday, noting that the two countries can work together to “prevent the spillover of security risks from Afghanistan,” according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Xi said that China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the international community including Russia to encourage all parties in Afghanistan to build an open and inclusive political structure, implement moderate and stable domestic and foreign policies and completely cut ties with all terrorist groups, according to Xinhua.

The Xinhua report said Putin told Xi that Russia and China share similar stances and common interests on the Afghan issue, and Russia is willing to work with China to promote smooth transition in the country and resist interference and destruction from external forces.

The background: Last week, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi had separate phone conversations with his counterparts from Russia and the U.S. and called for cooperation over the transition of power in Afghanistan, after the Taliban took control of Kabul earlier this month.

During his call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Wang said that the two countries, as “truly strategic cooperative partners,” should protect each other's legitimate interests in Afghanistan, maintain timely communication on the situation, and support each other.

Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use.

Contact reporter Cai Xuejiao (xuejiaocai@caixin.com) and editor Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com)

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