BEIJING: China on Thursday welcomed a temporary pause in fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan while downplaying reports of its failure to enforce a ceasefire between the two neighbours.
China welcomes the temporary ceasefire agreement reached by Pakistan and Afghanistan during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian told a media briefing here.
China appreciates the efforts made by relevant Islamic countries, Lin said, downplaying reports of Beijing’s failure to enforce a ceasefire between the two neighbours.
Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday announced a "temporary pause" in fighting in view of Eid-ul-Fitr and at the request of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Qatar. There was no mention of China’s mediation efforts by both sides.
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar and his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi, urging them to work out a ceasefire and hold direct talks.
China's special envoy Yue Xiaoyong shuttled between Islamabad and Kabul to press for a ceasefire. China also had a trilateral dialogue mechanism with Pakistan and Afghanistan for years.
Pakistan, in apparent defiance of Chinese diplomacy, conducted a massive airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul in which over 400 patients were killed, according to Afghanistan.
While China was tight-lipped about Pakistan’s airstrikes, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi termed reports of Islamabad’s defiance to carry out the airstrikes in the midst of China’s mediation as unnecessary speculation.
“Pakistan and China remain trusted partners and close friends. We 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," he said on Monday.