Originally published: Agence France Presse, 25March,2010

BEIJING (AFP) – Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao pledged Thursday to extend aid and economic support for Afghanistan’s reconstruction, while calling for both nations to jointly fight terrorism and drug trafficking.

In talks with visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Wen said the two countries should work to strengthen relations by increasing cooperation in all fields, China Central Television said.

“Terrorism and drug trafficking are common dangers facing Afghanistan and neighbouring countries that need the long-term, close and unending cooperation of each nation,” state television quoted Wen as telling Karzai.

“We should strive to unify the people, and to the utmost extent isolate the forces of terrorism, separatism and religious extremism and strike out at cross-border crime.”

Wen said China would continue to offer aid to Afghanistan and support the nation’s plans for peaceful reconstruction.

Karzai thanked Wen for the support and invited China to expand cooperation in agriculture, economy and trade, investment, mining and infrastructure construction, the report said.

He said Afghanistan was willing to jointly combat terrorism and drug trafficking with China, it added.

On Wednesday, Karzai held talks with President Hu Jintao and oversaw the signing a series of economic and diplomatic agreements.

In a separate meeting, Defence Minister Liang Guanglie pledged military assistance to Afghanistan in talks with his Afghan counterpart Abdul Rahim Wardak, Xinhua news agency said.

“Chinese military will continue assistance to the Afghan National Army to improve their capacity of safeguarding national sovereignty, territorial integrity and domestic stability,” Xinhua quoted Liang as saying.

China mainly offers Afghanistan military supplies and personnel training, some of it in the form of aid, the report said.

More than eight years after the Taliban regime was toppled by US-led forces, China has been increasingly seen as a key player in maintaining stability in Afghanistan, particularly in the future when US troops pull out.

Beijing has provided its neighbour with aid and assistance, giving Afghanistan 130 million dollars towards reconstruction efforts, and pledging another 75 million dollars.

But it has not joined the US-led military effort there despite the risk of instability were an Islamist regime to return to power in Kabul, and the on-going scourge of drug trafficking from Afghanistan poppy fields.

China has a keen interest in Afghanistan’s natural resources. Three years ago, a Chinese group put a record three billion dollars into the Aynak copper mine, one of the biggest in the world.

This is Karzai’s first visit to China since his re-election last year, and his fourth as Afghan president. He was due to leave Thursday.