The neighbours and one-time allies have been locked in violent confrontation over claims from Islamabad that Afghanistan is harbouring militants responsible for cross-border attacks, which the Taliban government denies.

Hostilities escalated sharply at the end of February, when Pakistani airstrikes were followed by an Afghan ground offensive, with Islamabad declaring an “open war”.

On March 16, a Pakistani strike on a hospital in Kabul killed hundreds of civilians, sparking international condemnation and renewing calls for talks on ending the conflict.

“Representatives from China, Afghanistan and Pakistan held a week of informal meetings in Urumqi, Xinjiang, from April 1 to 7,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

The three delegations “engaged in frank and pragmatic discussions in a positive atmosphere”, she said at a regular news conference in Beijing.

According to the spokeswoman, Afghanistan and Pakistan stated “their commitment to resolving their differences as soon as possible and realising a return to normalcy in bilateral relations, agreeing not to take any actions that would escalate or complicate the situation”.

Diplomats from Pakistan and Afghanistan had already reported the China-hosted talks last week, but Beijing had not confirmed them.

A truce implemented during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, concluded on March 24.

The land border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been almost completely closed during the fighting, resulting in significant economic consequences.