China agrees on more economic aid for Afghanistan (Roundup)

Mar 24, 2010, 14:17 GMT

Beijing - China agreed to more economic assistance for Afghanistan Wednesday after talks on security, trade and other issues between Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai.

Chinese state media quoted Hu as telling Karzai that China wanted to 'advance practical cooperation and lift the two countries' comprehensive partnership to new levels.'

During talks at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Karzai thanked China for the 'support and encouragement it had given Afghanistan' in recent years, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The agency said Karzai and Hu witnessed the signing of three agreements covering aid, economic and technological cooperation, tariff reduction for Afghan imports to China and training programmes.

Chinese reports gave few details of the agreements, but the Afghan presidential office said earlier that the two sides were expected to sign an agreement on a 160-million-yuan (23.4-million-dollar) aid package to Afghanistan during Karzai's three-day visit.

State-run China Central Television quoted Karzai as saying Afghanistan would 'work to strike terrorism and extremism' to maintain regional security and stability.

He said China had 'played a very important role' in maintaining regional security and that Afghanistan hoped to cooperate more closely with China and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens working in Afghanistan, which shares a short border with China's far west in the Pamir Mountains.

The broadcaster quoted Hu as saying the two sides should expand cooperation in the areas of politics, trade, public health and security.

'China attaches great importance to the security of Chinese personnel and companies in Afghanistan,' He said. 'We hope Afghanistan can take effective measures to guarantee their security.'

The Afghan foreign minister, defence minister and about 20 business executives travelled with Karzai to China, officials said.

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.

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