China has vowed to implement the recent agreements reached between Chinese president Hu Jintao and visiting Afghan president Hamid Karzai in a bid to raise bilateral relations "to a new level."

 

Top Chinese political advisor Jia Qinglin made the pledge in his talks with Karzai on Tuesday. He called China and Afghanistan "good neighbors with lasting mutual understanding and respect."

 

Jia, who is the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), also acknowledged that China-Afghanistan relations have witnessed extensive progress since the establishment of the new Afghan government.

 

"The two state heads reached significant common understanding on the development of China-Afghanistan relations yesterday and China is willing make joint efforts with Afghanistan to further boost the partnership," Jia noted.

 

Jia expressed his appreciation for Afghanistan's valuable support on issues such as Taiwan and anti-terrorism, promising that China will continue to back Afghanistan's efforts to safeguard sovereignty and territory integrity and promote national reconstruction and economic development.

 

Jia told Karzai that that the CPPCC, which plays a significant role in China's political and social life, is willing to forge friendly exchanges and cooperation with the Afghan parliament and other political and social organizations to consolidate the traditional friendship between the two peoples.

 

Karzai said that his China visit is aimed at cementing bilateral relations, highlighting that the important common understanding reached between the two leaders is a symbol of his successful visit to China.

 

The Afghan president noted that China has made huge achievements in economic development and is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs. A strong friendship between China and Afghanistan will be conducive to regional peace and common development.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2006)