China for increased coordination with Pakistan over Afghan issue

Chinese foreign minister says the two countries should encourage all Afghan parties to strengthen solidarity

China and Pakistan should strengthen communication and coordination on Afghan issue to support a stable power transition in the country and peace in the region, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

“As responsible neighbours to Afghanistan, China and Pakistan need to strengthen communication and coordination to support a stable transition in the country, and play constructive roles in maintaining regional peace and stability,” Wang Yi said during a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

Wang Yi said that the two countries should encourage all Afghan parties to strengthen solidarity, and establish a new broad-based and inclusive political structure that is suited to the Afghan national conditions.

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“China and Pakistan should also support Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism, to prevent the country from becoming a hotbed for terrorism again," he added.

He said that the Chinese and Pakistani embassies in Afghanistan are still functioning normally, and the two sides should communicate to the Taliban to ensure the safety of Chinese and Pakistani personnel and institutions in Afghanistan.

The two countries, using their unique role as neighbours, should promote international cooperation involving Afghanistan in an orderly manner also and promote the situation in Afghanistan gradually into a virtuous circle, he added.

Wang Yi congratulated Pakistan on its 75th Independence Day and wished Pakistan prosperity and strength.

'China, Pakistan most expecting to realise peace in Afghanistan'

Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked China for its good wishes for Pakistan’s Independence Day and its long-standing support for Pakistan’s nation-building.

Also read: Stable Afghanistan critical for regional peace, Qureshi tells Chinese FM

While appreciating China’s important and active role in Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan and China are both neighbours of Afghanistan and most expecting to realise peace in Afghanistan.

He said that Afghanistan’s future requires a negotiated political solution and added, the Taliban takeover of Kabul has not caused bloodshed while the internal order in Afghanistan has stabilised and life gradually returned to normal.

"All parties should support the Taliban in fulfilling its commitments to protect the rights and interests of the Afghan people," he added.

Pakistan is ready to strengthen communication with China, push the Taliban to work with all stakeholders to form an inclusive and broad political framework and set up a multilateral cooperation mechanism, he added.

He urged the international community to jointly support the efforts of the Afghan factions to achieve peace and stability.

During the talk with his Pakistani counterpart, Wang also brought up the Dasu terrorist attack, hoping that Pakistan will make every effort to arrest the perpetrators and punish them in accordance with the law.

FM Qureshi said that Pakistan will do its utmost to catch the perpetrators of the Dasu terrorist attack, identify the forces behind the attack and severely punish them.