China today said it supports Afghanistan and Pakistan's plan to expand exchanges and improve ties in the run-up to the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from the war-torn country in 2014.
"It will have positive impact on regional situation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing here when asked about the second round of China-Pakistan-Russia trilateral talks on Afghanistan taking place in Islamabad.
The three parties noted that the situation in Afghanistan, particularly in the run-up to the troop withdrawal next year, had an important bearing on regional peace and stability.
They reiterated support for an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process and urged international community to support the country in developing its economy, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
In a regional context, the three parties agreed to strengthen the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Afghanistan.
Russian and Pakistani delegations expressed their support for China's hosting of the ministerial meeting of Istanbul Process in Tianjin in 2014.
The three countries agreed to hold the next round of trilateral talks in Moscow in the first half of 2014.
