China hopes that intra-Afghan talks will start and yield positive results at an early date, its foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
“China firmly supports the “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” peace and reconciliation process and hopes that intra-Afghan talks will start and yield positive results at an early date,” Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, told a press conference.
He said that China will continue strengthening communication and coordination with relevant parties in Afghanistan and making constructive efforts with the international community for the political settlement of the Afghan issue.
He said that as Afghanistan’s traditional friendly neighbor, China respects the Afghan people’s independent decision on their own future and development path, and will do its best to support Afghanistan’s peaceful reconstruction.
The US-Taliban agreement stipulated start of intra-Afghan talks on March 10, but the process has been delayed.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad on Sunday left for Doha and Kabul to press Taliban and Afghan officials on peace talks.
