China 1st for Afghan leader
Print Edition
AFGHANISTAN and China pledged a long-term partnership yesterday as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani began a four-day visit, his first trip abroad since he took office last month.
Hailing Ghani as “an old friend of the Chinese people,” President Xi Jinping said he was prepared to work toward “a new era of cooperation in China-Afghanistan relations” to “take development to a new depth and breadth.”
Xi reaffirmed China’s support for peaceful reconstruction in the country and pledged further assistance.
“China will enhance its support for Afghanistan’s peaceful reconstruction, help Afghanistan frame a plan on national economic and social development, train professionals and develop agriculture, hydroelectricity and infrastructure construction,” Xi told Ghani.
China would like to bolster progress on major projects such as the Aynak copper mine and the Amu Darya basin oil project to help Afghanistan develop its economy, he said.
The Aynak copper mine, 35 kilometers south of Kabul, is one of the largest copper deposits in the world with an estimated 11 million tons of the metal. The Amu Darya basin oil project in northern Afghanistan may contain more than 80 million barrels of crude oil.
China and Afghanistan signed four agreements yesterday, including documents on expanding technical and commercial cooperation.
According to a joint statement issued after the talks, China will provide 500 million yuan (US$81.8 million) in grant assistance to the Afghan government for 2014 and a further 1.5 billion yuan in the next three years.
China will train 3,000 Afghan professionals in various fields over the next five years, the statement said.
Xi’s “vision” for the continent had opened “not just a new chapter for Asia, but an entirely new book,” Ghani said. He also offered unconditional support on China’s own territorial problems, citing “Taiwan, Tibet, and other issues.”
During his stay in Beijing, Ghani will attend a meeting of the Heart of Asia/Istanbul Process on Friday. Launched in 2011, it aims to raise regional cooperation for security and development in Afghanistan and its neighbors.
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