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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a meeting of foreign ministers of the BRICS group of nations in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, June 10, 2024. PHOTO:REUTERS
China has urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve their disputes through dialogue rather than force, calling for restraint and an immediate ceasefire as tensions between the two neighbors rise.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi conveyed the message during a phone call with Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, according to a statement released by China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday.
Wang stressed that both sides should remain calm and work to ease tensions through direct engagement.
Wang urged the two countries to exercise restraint and hold face-to-face talks as soon as possible to resolve their differences.
“Further use of force would only complicate the situation and intensify tensions,” Wang said, according to the ministry statement.
He added that regional stability requires cooperation and not confrontation.
“For his part, Wang said that the more volatile the external environment becomes, the more regional countries should strengthen unity and cooperation, overcome difficulties together, and forge a path of cooperative security and common security.”
The Chinese foreign minister also described the relationship between the two neighboring countries as one that cannot be separated by geography.
“Afghanistan and Pakistan are inseparable brothers and neighbors who cannot be separated from each other,” he said.
Wang noted that China had maintained an objective and impartial position on tensions between the two countries.
“China has always maintained an objective and impartial stance on the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said.
He also said Beijing is actively involved in efforts to ease tensions. “The special envoy for Afghan affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry is traveling between the two countries to mediate,” he said, adding that both sides should “remain calm and exercise restraint, have face-to-face exchanges at an early date, achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, and resolve differences and contradictions through dialogue.”
China stands ready to continue supporting efforts towards reconciliation, he said. “China is willing to continue making active efforts to help achieve reconciliation and de-escalation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
China’s ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, echoed the message in a post on X, sharing details of the call. “China is willing to continue making active efforts to help achieve reconciliation and de-escalation between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he wrote.
The Afghan foreign minister thanked China for its role in trying to ease tensions between the two countries.
Muttaqi said the Afghan people, who have endured decades of conflict, value peace and development.
He told Wang that Afghanistan wanted to play a constructive role in the region. “The Afghan foreign minister said his country wants to be a source of regional peace rather than unrest, and reaffirmed that its territory will not be used to attack neighboring countries.”
He added that Afghanistan was not seeking military confrontation with any country and hoped to build trust with its neighbors.
“Afghanistan does not wish to engage in military conflicts with other countries and hopes for mutual trust and friendly coexistence with neighboring countries.”
Muttaqi also expressed hope that China will play a larger role in regional diplomacy. “The Afghan side believes that dialogue and consultations are the only way to resolve problems and hopes that China, as an important country and friendly neighbor, will play a more important role.”
During the call, both sides also discussed the situation in Iran. Wang reaffirmed China’s stance on the issue and said Beijing was willing to work with the international community to promote peace. “Wang reaffirmed China’s principled position and affirmed that China is willing to work with the international community, including Afghanistan, to continue playing a constructive role in the fight for peace.”
According to the statement, Wang also told Muttaqi that Beijing was willing to cooperate with international partners, including Afghanistan, to help bring stability to Iran.
