China Thursday called on parties concerned to earnestly assume responsibilities to ensure a peaceful and stable transition in Afghanistan.

Wang Min, deputy permanent representative of the Chinese Mission to the UN told a Security Council meeting here that comprehensive stability and reconstruction in Afghanistan will be a long process, which requires unremitting efforts from the Afghan government and its people as well as continued support and assistance from the international community.

"We hope that in the transfer of security responsibilities to the Afghan government, parties concerned will earnestly assume responsibilities to help Afghanistan strengthen its security capacity-building to ensure a peaceful and stable transition," Wang said.

There is also a need to "fully respect Afghanistan's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and support its ownership and leadership to achieve in earnest Afghanistan run by Afghans," the ambassador said.

China is shocked and condemns the assassination of former Afghan president and chief peace negotiator with Taliban Burhanudin Rabbani, Wang said noting that China fully respects the choice of the Afghan government and its people and hopes to see progress made in its peace and reintegration program.

On initiative about Afghan economic reconstruction, China believed that relevant parties should fully heed the opinions of the Afghan government and its people and respect Afghan sovereignty and ownership.

The relevant initiative should be implemented on the basis of full consultation and consensus among parties, he said.

China also supported the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in its continued efforts to play a central and leading role in coordinating aid.

The UN envoy for Afghanistan Staffan de Mistura stressed Thursday in his briefing to the Security Council the need to seize the window of opportunity for dialogue and reconciliation despite recent killing of the former Afghan president and worsening security situation.

According to the UN secretary-general's report, at the end of August, the average monthly number of incidents in Afghanistan for 2011 was 2,108 -- up 39 percent compared with the same period in 2010. Armed clashes and improvised explosive devices continued to constitute the majority of incidents, and insurgents continued their campaign of intimidation, including through targeted assassinations of high-ranking security, political and religious officials.