China’s special envoy urges immediate ceasefire after mediating between Afghanistan and Pakistan following deadly cross-border clashes.
BEIJING: China has confirmed its special envoy spent a week mediating between Afghanistan and Pakistan, urging an immediate ceasefire after deadly cross-border clashes flared.
Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that China has consistently mediated the conflict through its own channels, describing Beijing as a friendly neighbour to both nations.
The ministry said special envoy for Afghan affairs Yue Xiaoyong visited the two countries between March 7 and 14 to mediate the conflict.
In Afghanistan, Yue met Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and the minister of commerce and industry, while in Pakistan he held meetings with high-level officials including Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch.
A ministry statement said Yue urged both sides to maintain calm and restraint, implement an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, and resolve contradictions through dialogue.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi also held a call with Muttaqi on Friday, promising to continue making active efforts to reconcile Afghanistan and Pakistan and ease tensions.
Wang told Muttaqi that the use of force would only complicate the situation and threaten regional peace and stability, according to a readout released late on Friday.
The conflict has flared since February 26 when Afghanistan launched a border offensive in retaliation for earlier Pakistani air strikes.
Pakistan then declared open war against the Taliban authorities, bombing the capital Kabul the next day.
South Asian neighbours Pakistan and Afghanistan have had a strained relationship for months, after dozens were killed in fighting last October.
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of harbouring militants from the Pakistani Taliban and the local Islamic State offshoot, a charge the Afghan Taliban authorities deny.
Pakistan is one of China’s closest partners in the region, with Beijing pouring tens of billions of dollars into the country under its Belt and Road initiative.
Islamabad used Chinese-made military hardware, including jets, against India during a short conflict last May.
Analysts say Beijing has also become a crucial partner of the Taliban authorities since they swept back to power in Kabul in 2021.