China is ready to step up communication and cooperation with Pakistan on the Afghan issue and to work with that country to support Afghanistan’s peaceful reconstruction.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang proposed that coordination efforts for the reconstruction of Afghanistan should be stepped up, he said while meeting with Pakistani President Arif Alvi in Islamabad on Saturday.

“China is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Pakistan on the Afghan issue and to contribute to the process of peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan jointly,” the minister was quoted by TASS saying.

According to him, Beijing is working together to promote regional stability and development.

Arif Alvi received greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping through Qin Gang, who further noted that China and Pakistan are strategic allies that support comprehensive cooperation in any circumstance.

China’s Foreign Minister Ganq is on a two-day visit to Pakistan to attend trilateral talks on Afghanistan.

The trilateral meeting is scheduled to take place between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Saturday, May 6.

One of the crucial aspects of the meeting would be to engage Afghanistan in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi began a visit to Pakistan on Friday, May 5 and will stay there through May 8, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.

Afghanistan is important for China’s massive One Belt One Road initiative and can serve as a bridge between South and Central Asia. In addition, the country has untapped mineral riches worth billions of dollars, increasing regional countries’ interest in investing, including China