China, Russia and Pakistan held secretary-level trilateral talks in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss regional stability, including the restoration of peace in Afghanistan.
Deng Xijun, China's special envoy on Afghan Affairs, attended the meeting.
"China's stance on the Afghan issue is consistent. We support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led political settlement to the Afghan conflict. We believe that negotiation is the only solution to resolve the Afghan issue and we are willing to continue playing a constructive role," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the Global Times on Tuesday, without giving further details.
Analysts said the meeting is expected to discuss anti-terrorism cooperation amid growing influence of the Islamic State in the region and a peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
"Due to various reasons, the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), which involves China, the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan, has so far failed to bring Taliban to the negotiation table. China, Russia and Pakistan, on the other hand, have common strategic interest in the region, which is that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is conducive to the security of all three countries. Therefore, the trilateral meeting may bring new momentum to the Afghan peace process," Fu Xiaoqiang, an expert on South Asian studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.
Fu said Russia's involvement in the mechanism also serves as a "reminder" to India over New Delhi's tilt toward Washington.
Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry is said to represent the country at the Moscow talks.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday showed displeasure over the trilateral meeting, the Tolo News reported.
Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmad Shekib Mustaghni said that the agenda of the meeting was a matter of concern.
"Talking on Afghanistan without consulting the country raises serious questions for the Afghan people. We are worried that what are the reasons behind the meeting and want the relevant parties to explain," the report quoted Mustaghni as saying.
