Former President Hamid Karzai says China can play an important role in helping Afghanistan secure its future, especially in improving its ties with Pakistan.   

“China plays a very important role, a significant role in improving the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in making sure that a synchronized relationship is established between the two countries,” Karzai said in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) via video link during the World Peace Forum which opened in Beijing. 

"So this way, I as an Afghan, feel a lot more hopeful towards a better future than I was before, because we are now on our own, and it is in our interest in Afghanistan, and certainly in our neighborhood, to bring peace to Afghanistan, and if we join hands, we will certainly gain it sooner rather than later," he added.

Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Washington to act with sincerity and work toward solutions on a variety of hot-spot issues regarding countries such as Afghanistan and Iran, China Daily reported on Monday.  

He said the top priority in Afghanistan is to maintain peace and stability and to prevent wars and chaos, and the United States, as the initiator of Afghanistan's issue, should ensure a smooth transition in the situation there “in a responsible manner.” 

The World Peace Forum is a key annual policy gathering that brings together hundreds of leaders, officials and scholars on international relations from across the globe.