BY A STAFF REPORTER: China and Iran have called on mutual neighbour Afghanistan to lift restrictions on women's work and education. The call was made in a joint statement on Thursday after Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi's visit to Beijing, where the two sides rejected close economic and political ties and Western standards of human rights and democracy. Since the occupation of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have banned the entry of girls into universities and schools after sixth grade and forcibly expelled women holding elected offices and other important positions. In a joint statement, China and Iran called on the Afghan rulers to form an inclusive government, in which all ethnic groups and political groups actually participate and abolish all discriminatory measures against women, ethnic minorities and other religions.