Beijing, Jul 17 (IANS): During a phone conversation with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged Beijing's continued support for the "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" principle, as well as the peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country.

The conversation took place between the two leaders on Friday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Xi stressed that China firmly supports the Afghan government's endeavour to safeguard national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, which is in the interests of the Afghan people and countries in the region.

China always believes that political dialogue is the fundamental way to achieve national reconciliation and lasting peace in Afghanistan, the Chinese leader told Ghani.

The Chinese side is glad to see that the Afghan government and relevant parties in Afghanistan have reached positive consensus during the recent dialogue in Tehran, he said.

China, Xi added, hopes that both sides engaged in the dialogue will put the interests of the Afghan people first, and agree on a political solution through negotiation at an early date.

Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, Xi said that China is ready to continue to provide support and assistance for Afghanistan's fight against the health crisis.