BEIJING: China on Monday reaffirmed its willingness to help ease rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, urging both countries to avoid further escalation and return to dialogue.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that preventing the situation from worsening remains the most urgent priority.
He emphasised that both nations should work toward resolving their differences through negotiations and peaceful consultation.
“China is ready to continue playing a constructive role in promoting reconciliation and improving relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Lin said during a regular press briefing in Beijing.
He added that Beijing has been actively engaging with both sides in recent days in an effort to reduce tensions.
The statement follows a recent phone conversation between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
During the call, Wang Yi encouraged both Islamabad and Kabul to resolve their disputes through diplomatic channels rather than through the use of force.
Trusted partners
Pakistan Foreign spokesperson in a statement on Monday said Pakistan and China remain trusted partners and close friends who maintain regular and close communication on all issues of mutual concern and shared interest.
“Therefore, any unnecessary speculation or fabrication of facts in this regard is unwarranted,” Tahir Andrabi said.
He said during the recent telephone conversation between the Deputy Prime Minister Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a wide range of issues were discussed, including developments related to Afghanistan.
“Similarly, during the visit of Chinese Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong, consultations were held on matters relating to regional peace and stability, including Afghanistan,” he said.
China dispatches special envoy
Earlier China dispatched a special envoy to engage with Pakistan and Afghanistan in efforts to help ease tensions and encourage dialogue between the two neighbouring countries, according to an announcement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The special envoy’s visit aims to promote communication and strengthen regional stability amid recurring frictions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which Islamabad calls retaliatory actions after escalating cross-border attacks by the terrorists taking refuge in Afghanistan.
Security concerns in Pakistan have intensified since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.
Pakistani authorities have repeatedly called on the Taliban administration to take decisive action against terrorists groups allegedly operating from Afghan territory, particularly the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). According to Pakistani officials, those concerns have yet to be adequately addressed.
Operation Ghazab lil-Haq
Pakistan last month announced the launch of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq after the unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces from across the border.
According to security sources, Pakistani armed forces have since targeted several Afghan Taliban positions along the Pak-Afghan border, particularly in the Bajaur sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The operation has reportedly involved the use of guided missiles against militant and Taliban-linked positions.
Military sources stated that Operation Ghazab lil-Haq will continue until its objectives are achieved, including eliminating threats posed by the terrorists groups operating near the border.
On Sunday, security officials reported that Pakistani forces conducted overnight strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, destroying a technical support infrastructure and a facility used for storing equipment.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had said that cross-border shelling by Afghan Taliban forces targeted civilian areas in Bajaur district. According to the minister, the artillery and mortar fire resulted in the deaths of four civilians and left a child injured.
The escalating tensions have raised concerns about regional stability, prompting calls from international stakeholders for restraint and renewed diplomatic engagement between the two neighbouring countries.
