BEIJING: Welcoming Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s offer of talks with the Taliban, a Chinese foreign ministry’s spokesperson said on Thursday that China was willing to assist the Afghan reconciliation process.

“China is willing to provide assistance to the Afghan reconciliation and peaceful reconstruction process as our capacity allows,” Hua Chunying said during her regular briefing.

She said China always supported the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned extensive and exclusive reconciliation process and urged all the relevant parties in Afghanistan to address their differences through dialogue and consultation.

The spokesperson said that the Chinese side highly appreciated efforts made by the government of President Ghani for reconciliation.

“We hope all relevant parties can work for the shared goal, enhance dialogue and consultations, discard difference and achieve the lasting peace, development and stability in Afghanistan as well as possible,” she added.

President Ghani on Wednesday offered recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate political group as part of a proposed political process that he said could lead to talks aimed at ending more than 16 years of war.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2018