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)