Foreign and Military Affairs
China calls for global support to Afghanistan
By Zhang Haizhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-20 08:51
 |
Large Medium Small |
|
 Reg Pitts, Staff Sergeant of Royal Canadian Military Police, shows a picture on his camera to Afghan children near a police station on the outskirts of Kandahar, southern Afghanistan on Thursday. [Agencies] |
Nation needs more than economic assistance during transition period
BEIJING - China called for more international support to Afghanistan on Friday, days ahead of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's first visit to China after his re-election in November last year.
Some commentators said Beijing is likely to offer Kabul more assistance other than economic aid.
Li Baodong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, called upon the international community to "step up efforts to assist" Afghanistan in "strengthening its military and police forces", Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.
The international community must remain focused on Afghanistan, which is currently in a key transitional period, and increase support and assistance to enhance Afghan sovereignty and capacity for development, Li said.
He also said that China supports the lead coordination role played by the UN in helping Afghanistan in its reconstruction process.
Li made the remarks just five days ahead of Karzai's China visit starting Tuesday.
Qin Gang, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said on Thursday enhancing economic cooperation and trade with Afghanistan would top the agenda during Karzai's three-day visit.
"China hopes to see a peaceful and stable Afghanistan with progress and development," he said.
Besides President Hu Jintao, Karzai will also meet Premier Wen Jiabao and Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
China has provided $900 million since 2002 in assistance for various reconstruction projects in Afghanistan and recently granted another $75 million, Qin said.
China has also invested in the $3.5 million Aynak copper mining project and related infrastructure, the biggest investment in recent times.
Ye Hailin, an Asian studies expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: "it is impossible for Beijing not to offer assistance since Karzai is coming."
He, however, did not say whether China would offer something beyond economic assistance.
"If you have money, just offer money; if you have might, then just offer might," Ye said, adding Afghanistan needs everything from reconstruction to economic development.
"Focusing on economic development is the key to improving Afghanistan's domestic situation. It is also in line with China's diplomatic thought," said Dong Manyuan, an analyst at China Institute of International Studies.
Such a strategy has also led to international experts urging China to extend more help for the war-torn neighboring country.
Since early 2008, officials from NATO and Afghanistan, for example, have repeatedly asked China to open up the 76-km-long border on the east end of mountainous Vakhan corridor to offer logistics support for the international forces fighting terrorists in Afghanistan.
China has rejected the appeal as it sees it as an excuse to pull Beijing into the war on terror.
Beijing has so far played "a low key role in Afghanistan, sticking to developmental projects and refraining from taking a pro-active role in containing the Taliban by backing US and other countries efforts in this regard", Press Trust of India said on Thursday.
But Dong said China "has noticed how difficult the security situation is" in Afghanistan. "I think it's possible for China to help train Afghan troops and soldiers, enhance anti-terror cooperation and even supply anti-terror equipment."
China has actually offered help in such areas after 19 Afghan National Army members underwent a seven-week-long mine defusing course in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province late last year.
China Daily
