![](https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/210815041735-02-kabul-afghanistan-0815-super-tease.jpg)
China has said that it respects the “will and choice” of the Afghan people and hopes the Taliban can implement what it promised to “ensure the smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan.”
“The Afghan Taliban said yesterday that the war in Afghanistan has ended and they will negotiate the establishment of an open and inclusive Islamic government and take responsible actions to ensure the safety of Afghan citizens and foreign missions in Afghanistan,” China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing on Monday.
“China hopes that these statements can be implemented to ensure the smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan, curb all kinds of terrorism and criminal acts, and enable the Afghan people to stay away from war and rebuild their beautiful homeland,” Hua said.
“The situation in Afghanistan has undergone major changes. We respect the will and choice of the Afghan people,” he added.
Hua also confirmed that the Chinese embassy in Afghanistan is still in operation and that the embassy has evacuated the majority of Chinese citizens in the country in advance.
The Chinese embassy in Afghanistan said in a separate statement on Sunday that it has informed “different factions” in Afghanistan “to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, Chinese institutions, and Chinese interests,” adding that the embassy has not received any reports on the casualties of Chinese citizens in the country.
Last month, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with senior leaders of the Taliban in northern Chinese city of Tianjin and said that he expected the Taliban to play an important role in the country’s “peace, reconciliation and reconstruction process,” according to China’s Foreign Ministry.