BEIJING: China on Monday reiterated its offer to help reduce ongoing border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the most urgent priority was to prevent further escalation and bring both countries back to the negotiating table as soon as possible.
It was said that China remained ready to continue efforts aimed at promoting reconciliation and improving relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
According to the spokesperson, mediation between the two neighbors has also been carried out by Beijing in recent days.
A few days earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. During the call, disputes between Islamabad and Kabul were urged to be resolved through dialogue and consultation rather than force.
Since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, a renewed rise in militant attacks has been observed in Pakistan.
Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Afghan acting counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in a phone call to resolve their disputes through dialogue rather than force, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Wang called on both sides to remain calm and exercise restraint. He urged them to hold face-to-face talks as soon as possible, seek an immediate ceasefire and resolve their differences through dialogue.
The use of force would only complicate the situation and further escalate tensions, Wang said.
The statement came after Pakistan reportedly bombed a fuel depot belonging to Kam Air near Kandahar International Airport in Kandahar on Friday, in what was described as the most serious escalation in years between the two neighbors, despite mediation efforts by China.
During the call, Wang and Muttaqi also exchanged views on the situation in Iran.
