China on Thursday expressed the hope that Afghanistan can soon realize peace and stability.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the remark at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on the Taliban's decision to open a liaison office in Qatar.

Hong said China supports Afghanistan's efforts to promote national reconciliation and is pleased to see the development of its reconciliation process.

Hong called on other parties outside Afghanistan to fully respect the choice of the Afghan government and people during peace talks and create a favorable environment for the reconciliation process.

In a statement released to media on Tuesday, the Afghan Taliban said that the organization has reached a preliminary deal with Qatar to open a liaison office there in order to negotiate a settlement for the Afghan crisis and hold peace talks.