A senior Chinese official said on Saturday that China hopes and believes that Afghanistan will achieve its peace and stability, and embark on a path of development and prosperity, Xinhua reported.
At a Group of Eight (G8) ministerial meeting in the northern Italian city of Trieste, Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao said Afghanistan would achieve the goal with help and support from the international community as well as from "the unremitting efforts of the Afghan government and people."
While achieving progress and success, Song said, Afghanistan is still confronted with numerous difficulties and challenges, "some of which quite complex and formidable."
"The international community should work together to help Afghanistan achieve stability, social progress, national reconciliation and economic development," he said.
A peaceful, stable, secure and growing Afghanistan conforms with the fundamental interests of the Afghan people and the common aspiration of the international community, Song said.
G8 foreign ministers and representatives from 40 countries and organizations attended the two-day meeting on Afghanistan and regional stability. Italy is holding the rotating presidency of the G8 -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.
"The China-Afghanistan relationship is based on mutual respect, equality and non-interference in each other's internal affairs," Song said.
Pointing out that the two countries have established an all-round partnership of cooperation, he said China has participated actively in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.