ISTANBUL

China on Tuesday urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to de-escalate the tensions and hold dialogue.

“Pakistan and Afghanistan are both China's traditional and friendly neighbors, and the two countries are and will always be neighbors of each other,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said during a regular news conference in Beijing.

The statement came following clashes between two neighbors over the weekend, which reportedly killed at least five people in Afghanistan. However, calm quickly returned to the borders.

Beijing calls on the two countries to “continue handling differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, to de-escalate tensions, and jointly keep the region peaceful and stable,” Guo said.

He said China "stands ready" to work with the rest of the international community to continue playing “a constructive role” for the improvement of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.