The five permanent UN Security Council members found common ground on September 22 on Afghanistan with officials saying all the powers would press the Taliban to be more inclusive after their military takeover.

China and Russia have described last month’s Taliban victory as a defeat for the US and moved to work with the insurgents, but no country has moved to recognise a government that includes international pariahs.

The Security Council powers all want “a peaceful and stable Afghanistan where humanitarian aid can be distributed without problems and without discrimination”, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres told reporters after the meeting during the annual General Assembly.

They seek “an Afghanistan where the rights of women and girl are respected, an Afghanistan that is not a sanctuary for terrorism, an Afghanistan with an inclusive government representing all sections of the population”, he said.

China has previously criticised the US for freezing billions of dollars in Afghan assets. But Beijing is also keen for the neighbouring nation not to be a base for outside extremist groups.

“I don’t think anybody is satisfied with the composition of this interim government, including the Chinese,” a US official said.