China Seeks To Hold Economic Trilateral Talks With Afghanistan And Pakistan

MEP: Beijing plans to begin tripartite talks with Kabul and Islamabad in order to make better use of the economic resources of Afghanistan.

A statement by Presidential Palace (ARG) said, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani yesterday evening met with Kang Xinyuan, Deputy Foreign Minister of China.

During the meeting, the Afghan government efforts towards peace and stability, expansion of relations, regional cooperation and the fight against terrorism were appreciated.

Xinyuan said that Afghanistan is vital to China’s economic belt and his country’s proposal is that trilateral talks in Beijing, Kabul and Islamabad to start on economic corridors, cooperation and railway of Peshawar, Quetta and Kabul.

Calling terrorism a “threat to regional and global” Mr Xinguan said, as the common struggle against terrorism, China insists its military commitments in Afghanistan with respect.

He also added that China’s assistance to Afghanistan in various fields continues especially in the field of construction of houses and infrastructure work in Afghanistan will accelerate.

Meanwhile, President Ghani referred to China’s cooperation in various fields with Afghanistan, said Afghanistan is keen to preserve the rise and development of friendly relations with China.

He stated that negotiations on economic and transit corridors first as trilateral cooperation and then Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, a number of Central Asian countries and Iran will be included in it.