NEW YORK, 18 December, 2020, (TON): A Chinese UN envoy said on Thursday that Afghanistan's future arrangements should be broadly representative and inclusive.

"In our view, Afghanistan's future arrangements should be broadly representative and inclusive, so that all parties, ethnic groups, and religious sects in Afghanistan can participate on equal footing and share state power," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council meeting on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

"The international community should fully respect the will of the Afghan people, and ensure the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned negotiation process," said the envoy.

"No external forces should be allowed to impose their will or seek gains," Geng added.

Noting that the Afghan peace and reconciliation process "has now entered a period crucial to its future," Geng said that "China welcomes the first intra-Afghan negotiations launched in Doha on Sept. 12 and congratulates both sides on reaching an agreement on the rules and procedures for negotiations a few days ago."

"The next stage of negotiation will feature substantive discussions with a higher level of difficulty. Both sides need to show more political wisdom and resolve. The international community needs to increase its attention and input," Geng stressed.

"History has proven time and again that the Afghan issue can only be resolved by political means," said the envoy.

He underscored that the use of force will only plunge the country deeper into war.

Talking about the security situation, Geng said that violence in Afghanistan "remains unrelenting."

"The international community should continue to support the Afghan security forces in strengthening capacity building, combating terrorism, protecting civilians and improving the security situation," said Geng.

"China calls on all parties in Afghanistan to respond positively to secretary-general's call for global ceasefire and stop the violence and hostilities without delay," the ambassador said.

The Security Council on Thursday convened its quarterly meeting on Afghanistan via video conference.

After years of waiting, the Taliban and Afghans engaged in negotiations that started in Doha, Qatar, on September 12. These intra-Afghan negotiations could result in the possible end of decades-long conflict in which tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and displaced.