Chinese President Hu Jintao shakes hands with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.
China and Afghanistan announced that they will establish a strategic and cooperative partnership, after the talks between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday.
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Chinese President Hu Jintao shakes hands with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing. |
The partnership will serve the fundamental interestes of the two nations and contribute to the peace, stability and development in the region and beyong, according to a joint declaration issued after the leaders' meeting.
The two sides expressed firm support to each other on issues concnering national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and agreed not to allow their respective territory to be used for any activities targeted against the other side, according to the declaration.
The Afghan side reaffirmed that it is committed to the one-China policy, and that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.
It also expressed its firm support for China's positions on the Taiwan, Tibet-related, Xinjiang-related and other major issues concerning China's core interests, the declaration said.
Meanwhile, the Chinese side reaffirmed its commitment to respect Afghanistan's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity, and reiterated its respect for Afghan people's choice of development path suited to their national conditions, and its support for the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
The two countries also expressed "strong rejection" of all forms of terrorism, extremism, separatism and organized crime.
They agreed to intensify exchanges and cooperation in security by way of jointly combating such transnational threats as terrorism, illegal immigration, illegal arms and drug trafficking, and enhancing intelligence exchanges and border management.
The Chinese side firmly supports Afghanistan's efforts in combating terrorism and drug trafficking and safeguarding national stability, the declaration added, calling on the international community to support this cause.
The two sides also agreed to continually strengthen the pragmatic cooperation in such fields as resources and energy development, infrastructure development, engineering and agriculture.
China announced that it will provide a 150-million-yuan (23.8 million U.S. dollars) grant to the Afghan government during 2012.
The Chinese side also reaffirmed its support for the peaceful reconstruction process in Afghanistan.
Karzai is on a four-day visit to China, where he participated in the Beijing Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Wednesday and Thursday. At the summit, Afghanistan became an observer of the SCO.