China has vowed to implement the recent agreements reached
between Chinese president Hu Jintao and visiting Afghan president
Hamid Karzai in a bid to raise bilateral relations "to a new
level."
Top Chinese political advisor Jia Qinglin made the pledge in his
talks with Karzai on Tuesday. He called China and Afghanistan "good
neighbors with lasting mutual understanding and respect."
Jia, who is the chairman of the National Committee of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), also
acknowledged that China-Afghanistan relations have witnessed
extensive progress since the establishment of the new Afghan
government.
"The two state heads reached significant common understanding on
the development of China-Afghanistan relations yesterday and China
is willing make joint efforts with Afghanistan to further boost the
partnership," Jia noted.
Jia expressed his appreciation for Afghanistan's valuable
support on issues such as Taiwan and anti-terrorism, promising that
China will continue to back Afghanistan's efforts to safeguard
sovereignty and territory integrity and promote national
reconstruction and economic development.
Jia told Karzai that that the CPPCC, which plays a significant
role in China's political and social life, is willing to forge
friendly exchanges and cooperation with the Afghan parliament and
other political and social organizations to consolidate the
traditional friendship between the two peoples.
Karzai said that his China visit is aimed at cementing bilateral
relations, highlighting that the important common understanding
reached between the two leaders is a symbol of his successful visit
to China.
The Afghan president noted that China has made huge achievements
in economic development and is playing an increasingly important
role in international affairs. A strong friendship between China
and Afghanistan will be conducive to regional peace and common
development.
(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2006)
