China reiterates support for peaceful reconstruction in Afghanistan
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China reiterated its support for the peaceful reconstruction in Afghanistan, according to a joint statement issued on Thursday.
In the statement, which was issued during Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai's visit to China, China said it hoped peace, stability and development in Afghanistan will come at an early date.
Expressing the support for the Reconciliation and Reintegration process in Afghanistan, China pledged continued assistance to the best of its ability and sustained encouragement to capable Chinese enterprises to join the construction and development in Afghanistan.
China reaffirmed "the principle of non-interference into other countries' internal affairs, its respect for Afghanistan's independence,sovereignty and territorial integrity, its respect for the Afghan people's choice of development road suited to their national conditions," according to the statement.
The two sides also agreed to expand economic cooperation and trade, increase mutual investment and technology transfer, and deepen cooperation in areas of transportation, agriculture and irrigation, energy, mining and infrastructure. They agreed to convene the first meeting of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee.
China welcomed active Afghan participation in various activities of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai. And Karzai extended an invitation to Chinese leaders to pay visits to Afghanistan at mutual convenience, to which the Chinese leaders expressed their appreciation, said the statement.
Afghanistan reiterated in the statement that there is but one China in the world, the government of the Peoples' Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.
The two sides also expressed satisfaction with the current state of relations between the two countries.
At the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Karzai paid the three-day state visit to China from March 23.
During the visit, Karzai and President Hu witnessed on Wednesday the signing of three documents on economic and technological cooperation, favorable tariffs for Afghan exports to China and bilateral training programs.
Apart from meetings or talks with Chinese leaders, Karzai also met with Chinese corporate leaders and delivered a speech at Peking University on Afghan government's efforts for democracy and development.
Karzai concluded the visit to China Thursday evening.
