© Omar Sobhani / ReutersU.S. Marines in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
China and Pakistan have slammed US President Donald Trump's new policy on Afghanistan, which includes sending additional troops to the country. The nations have instead urged new talks with the Taliban.
The Pakistani and Chinese foreign ministers announced that their two countries and Afghanistan would hold a new series of three-way talks later this year, aiming to reach settlement negotiations with the Taliban.
"It's our firm view that there is no military solution in Afghanistan, the focus should be on a politically-negotiated settlement," Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said during a visit to Beijing on Friday, as quoted by AP."China is playing a very constructive role in this regard," he added.That statement comes after Trump did a U-turn on his previous position of disengagement from Afghanistan, instead opting to send more troops to the country. An additional 3,500 US soldiers will soon head to Afghanistan, officials told media this week.
"My original instinct was to pull out, and historically I like following my instincts," Trump said in a televised speech last month. "But all my life, I've heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office."
If the deployment of 3,500 additional soldiers is confirmed, it will bring the total number of US troops in Afghanistan to around 14,500.
Comment: Evidence of Paolo Duterte's alleged involvement in drug crime is less than flimsy. The senator will have to do much better than this. Likely he can't, since allegations are based on foreign intelligence innuendo to threaten and discredit Rodrigo Duterte through his family.