China to sign trade, economic deals during Karzai visit

Mar 23, 2010, 12:34 GMT

Beijing - China and Afghanistan plan to sign several economic and trade agreements during a visit by Afghan President Hamid Karzai scheduled to begin late Tuesday, a Chinese official said.

'We understand the challenge facing the peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.

'We would like to be actively involved in the peaceful reconstruction process in Afghanistan, as always, and provide assistance within our capacity,' Qin told reporters.

Qin said China attached 'great importance' to bilateral ties and hoped to see 'peace and stability' in Afghanistan, which shares a short border with China's far west in the Pamir Mountains.

Karzai was scheduled to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other leaders Wednesday.

China and Afghanistan planned to sign a 'series of cooperative agreements in trade and the economy,' Qin said, without giving details.

State media said the Afghan foreign minister, defence minister and about 20 business executives would travel with Karzai to China.

The China Daily newspaper said China had given aid worth 175 million dollars to Afghanistan since 2002 to help with infrastructure projects, plus another 75 million dollars in the past few months.

'This unconditional assistance has helped in the construction of schools, hospitals, roads and waterworks,' the newspaper said.

Zhang Xiaodong, an expert at the Chinese Association for Middle East Studies, told the newspaper that China would continue to provide aid but was 'not likely' to agree to any military involvement in Afghanistan.

'China definitely will not participate in the country's internal affairs under the NATO framework,' Zhang said.