China presses Pakistan and Afghanistan to de-escalate
“China urged Islamabad and Kabul to cool tensions and return to dialogue after recent cross-border strikes.”
Key points
- China urged Islamabad and Kabul to cool tensions and return to dialogue after recent cross-border strikes.
- Beijing warned that more force would only deepen the crisis and complicate regional stability.
China has called on Pakistan and Afghanistan to step back from further confrontation and settle their disputes through direct talks. In a phone call with Afghan acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged both sides to remain calm, exercise restraint, and move quickly toward face-to-face engagement and a ceasefire.
The appeal came after Pakistani strikes targeted a fuel depot near Kandahar airport following a sharp deterioration in cross-border tensions. Pakistani security officials said the facilities were being used to support Afghan Taliban and militant operations, and described the action as part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq.
Beijing warned that continued use of force would further inflame the crisis. The development underscores growing regional concern over Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions at a time when both countries are also being affected by the wider instability in the Middle East.
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