The Kabul Tribune (KT) — China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to remain calm, exercise restraint and engage in direct talks to ease rising tensions between the two neighbors.
In a statement posted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
China, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he had held telephone
conversations over the past week with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts as
part of Beijing’s mediation efforts.
The statement added that China’s special envoy for Afghan
affairs has been shuttling between Afghanistan and Pakistan, while Chinese
embassies in both countries have maintained close communication with the two sides.
China expressed hope that the two countries would hold
face-to-face talks as soon as possible, achieve a ceasefire at the earliest
opportunity and resolve disputes through dialogue.
Beijing also said it would continue efforts to facilitate
reconciliation and help reduce tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
