China yesterday reiterated its pledge to help rebuild war-torn Afghanistan.

As a friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China will stand by the Afghan people, actively participate in the reconstruction of the country and provide assistance within its capacity, Premier Zhu Rongji said in a meeting with visiting Afghan Interim Government Chairman Hamid Karzai.

China hopes Afghanistan will start economic recovery and reconstruction soon, Zhu said. According to a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, the Chinese premier told Karzai that China, with its edge in infrastructural construction, will encourage its established enterprises to actively participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

China has promised 30 million yuan (US$3.6 million) of emergent material aid, due to arrive in Afghanistan soon.

It also pledged to provide US$1 million in cash as start-up funding for Afghanistan's interim government.

The international community has pledged US$4.5 billion towards the rebuilding effort.

During yesterday's meeting with Zhu, Karzai thanked the international community and China in particular for assisting.

Turning to the fight against terrorism, Zhu reiterated China opposes all forms of terrorism. He said the Chinese Government is monitoring a small number of East Turkistan terrorists who have been trained outside China and whose terrorist activities have jeopardized stability in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Karzai said his government understands China's concern and vowed no terrorist force will be tolerated in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is willing to cooperate with the Chinese Government in China's fight against East Turkistan terrorists, Karzai said.

Karzai is in Beijing for a whirlwind 27-hour visit. He is scheduled to meet Chinese President Jiang Zemin today.

During yesterday's meeting, Zhu expressed the hope the ethnic groups of Afghanistan will earnestly carry out their peace agreements and bring lasting stability to the country.

Zhu also said Afghan people have the final say about the fate of their country, and that the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan should be respected.

He expressed China's support for efforts by the United Nations to resolve the political situation in Afghanistan.

Expressing confidence in the future of the country, Karzai said its people are eager for the rebuilding to start and hope that Afghanistan will become a respected member of the international community.

He also said Afghanistan attaches importance to its relations with its neighbors, including Pakistan, and is willing to work with them to seek peace in the region.

After the meeting, Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah told reporters at the Afghan Embassy in China about China's function in the reconstruction of Afghanistan as well as cooperation between the two nations on preventing terrorism.

He said China could play a significant role in the reconstruction process of Afghanistan in all aspects.

For example, China could provide material aid such as medicine and communication equipment, which Afghanistan urgently needs.

Trade relations between the two nations will be restored shortly after the Chinese Embassy reopens in Kabul, he said.

(China Daily January 24, 2002)