China always urged Taliban to join peace talks: Envoy

A top Chinese diplomat told Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani that Beijing has always urged the Taliban militant group to enter into political negotiations with the Kabul administration.

Chinese Special Envoy for Afghanistan Deng Xijun met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on Sunday, weeks after Kabul criticised the trilateral grouping of China, Pakistan and Russia for not inviting the country to the Moscow meeting, reports the Express Tribune.

"We have encouraged the Taliban during our contacts with them to join the dialogue. We have also urged Pakistan to start the quadrilateral process," Ghani's office quoted the Chinese envoy as saying.

"China has always conveyed to the Taliban during meetings that it recognises the Afghan government and the president and that talks are the only option for them," Xijun said, according to a statement posted online.

He said the Afghan Government has always tried to resolve problems through dialogue and progress in talks with Hizb-e-Islami indicates the Afghan Government has the capacity.

He said the Taliban policies have paved the way for activities of other terrorist groups who pose threats to the security of China and other regional countries.