ISLAMABAD – China has officially responded over the reports of US troopswithdrawal from Afghanistan.

A top Chinese diplomat has expressed opposition with an abrupt withdrawalof the U.S. forces from Afghanistan and has called on Washington for aresponsible withdrawal from the country.

Lijian Zhao, deputy Chinese ambassador in Islamabad made the remarks duringan interview with GTV News on Sunday, VOA reported.

“They [U.S.] have been in Afghanistan for 17 years. If they are leaving thecountry, they should try to leave in a gradual and a responsible way,”Lijan Zhao said.

He also emphasized the need for the Taliban and Afghan government to sittogether and negotiate a political resolution to a war he said has beengoing on for nearly 40 years.

Only an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process supported by internationalpartners of Afghanistan could help end the hostilities, Lijian noted.

“If a civil war broke out after the U.S. withdrawal, the first countriesaffected will be Pakistan, will be China, and it will be the immediateneighbors. So, we have to sit together with the parties concerned so thatwe start a peace process,” he said.