China expects to see peace, stability and development in Afghanistan
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China hoped to see the realization of peace, stability and development in Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said onThursday.
Qin told a regular press briefing that China was actively taking part in Afghanistan's peaceful reconstruction and insisted that the international community work together to provide support and assistance to the country with full respect to its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity as well as the will of the people.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai witnessed on Wednesday the signing of three documents on economic and technological cooperation, favorable tariffs for Afghan exports to China and bilateral training programs.
Qin said, the agreements were expected to be implemented comprehensively for the further promotion of China-Afghanistan cooperation and the benefit of the Afghan people.
China's economic assistance to Afghanistan can be dated back to the mid 1950s when the two countries established diplomatic links.
Since 2002, China has given more than 900 million yuan (130 million U.S. dollars) in aid for the rehabilitation of Afghanistan. China has applied zero tariffs on 278 items of export products from Afghanistan since July, 2006 and announced to provide an additional 75 million U.S. dollars of aid to the country over the next five years in 2009.
We believed that the Afghan people were willing and capable of moving ahead towards the achievement of national reconciliation, social progress, economic growth as well as national and regional stability, Qin said, adding that China would, as it always did, make joint efforts with the international community to support and help Afghanistan within its ability.
At the invitation of Hu, Karzai is paying a state visit to China from March 23 to 25.
