China’s Defense Ministry has rejected as “groundless” reports circulatingin the media that it is planning to build a military base in Afghanistan.

Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said Thursday that security cooperationbetween China and Afghanistan was continuing on its normal path and therewas no plan for an upgrade in interactions.

“The so-called issue that China is building a military base in Afghanistanis groundless,” Wu said.

He added Beijing and Kabul had normal security cooperation and that China’spolicy was to support Afghanistan in defense and counter-terrorism.

The remarks came after reports in US magazine The Diplomat and local mediain China that Beijing was planning to build a base in northern Afghanistan.The outlets had picked up the report from a Russian news agency thatfocuses on Central Asia.

Wu had earlier denied similar claims about China’s intensified militaryactivities in Afghanistan, saying there was no Chinese military vehiclepatrolling inside the war-torn country as reported in the media.

China is especially sensitive to security in Afghanistan as it fears aspillover of violence to its restive Xinjiang region in the west.

China has been part of an initiative to hold peace talks between the Afghangovernment and the Taliban, the group that has regained territories in thenorth and east of the country some 17 years after it was toppled through aUS-led invasion. The United States and Pakistan also contribute to thetalks.

China, as an emerging military superpower, has largely avoided establishingmilitary bases overseas like the US. However, one such base was inauguratedin Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa region, last year.

Washington says Beijing has unannounced plans for other similar bases inother locations in the near future, including in Pakistan.