Afghanistan's Ghani in trade talks with China's Xi
BEIJING, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Afghanistan's new President Ashraf Ghani was greeted warmly in Beijing Tuesday as he made his first official trip to China in search of stronger economic ties.
Ghani, a former World Bank economist, was referred to as an "old friend" by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who told Ghani, "That you have made a visit to China when not even one full month into your presidency, making China your first visit abroad, fully embodies the high degree of emphasis you put on China-Afghanistan relations. I am willing to work with you on a new era of cooperation in China-Afghanistan relations and take development to a new depth and breadth."
The four-day meeting underscores China's interest in the stability of Afghanistan, as well as its mineral resources, and Afghanistan's concern that Islamic militancy could destabilize the government as U.S. troops withdraw. Gains in Afghanistan by the Taliban have increased aggressiveness by separatists in western China, itself rich in minerals.
"Afghanistan may be a small country, but it plays an important role in China's geopolitical consideration," Shen Shishun of the China Institute of International Studies told Bloomberg News. "A stable Afghanistan will be a natural defense wall against separatism and terrorism spilling over the border."
"Over the past 13 years we have laid down the foundation of a very close enduring long-term relationship with China and both countries are determined to further develop and strengthen these relations in the years to come, starting with President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai's state visit to Beijing," said Janan Mosazai, Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, who added China is presently Afghanistan's biggest investor.
Ghani foresees Afghanistan as a regional hub for trade and investment, he said in an interview with China's state-run Xinhua news agency.
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Afghanistan's Ghani in trade talks with China's Xi