'Let Seed of Peace Take Root': China Calls for Continuation of Afghan Peace Talks

Beijing: Calling for the continuation of the Afghan peace talks, China on Tuesday urged both the US and the Taliban to let the "seed of peace" take root in Afghanistan after President Donald Trump declared the negotiations between the two sides as "dead."

Trump on Saturday announced the cancellation of a secret meeting with the Taliban and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at Camp David near Washington. It came after the Taliban claimed responsibility of an attack in Kabul last week, in which an American soldier were among the 12 dead.

The US has been conducting peace talks with the Taliban and the two sides were hopeful of a deal that included America cutting down on troops in Afghanistan and guarantees by Taliban of not allowing the Afghan soil to be ever used again for terror activities.

Afghanistan situation has entered a key juncture, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters here, responding to a question on the cancellation of the talks between the US and the Taliban.

We call on the US and Taliban to continue their negotiations for outcomes to let the seed of peace to take root in Afghanistan and create conditions for the final settlement of the Afghanistan issue, she said.

Without directly naming the US, Hua called on all the foreign forces to "withdraw in orderly and responsible way, that means such an arrangement should be conducive to peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

She said that Beijing believes that important progress has been made in the talks between the US and Taliban.

They reached important consensus on the peaceful agreement. Now there are still uncertainties. But it is the aspiration of Afghanistan people to stop the war and realise the peace, she said.

China firmly support the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned extensive and inclusive peace and reconciliation process and support all parties in strengthening their dialogue, she said.

On the just concluded trilateral meeting between Pakistan, Afghanistan and China in Islamabad on September 7, she said China plans to build an expressway between Kabul and Peshawar.

During the meeting, entry and exit ports as well security and anti-terrorism related issues were discussed, she said.