China will train Afghan troops on Chinese soil, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Beijing said on Thursday.
The military cooperation will be part of an effort to fight Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants bent on attacking China from its western neighbor, Ambassador Janan Mosazai told Reuters.
Kabul has also requested that China provide Afghan security forces with combat helicopters.
The International Crisis Group has said in a report that China’s military is ramping up its security presence in Afghanistan and Tajikistan amid fears that militants could strike at western China.
The independent think tank stated that China has deployed soldiers and built a “counter-terrorism center” in Tajikistan near the three-way border of Tajikistan, China, and Afghanistan.
Afghanistan Military also declared that Afghan forces will take military actions with China in bordering areas between the two countries and the regional countries should cooperate the country in the fight against terrorism.
Beijing has offered tripartite talks between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China with main focus being peace and stability and economic cooperation.
The Office of the President, ARG Palace, in a statement said China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Deng Xijun met with President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Monday.
The statement further added Mr. Xijun discussed the ongoing situation in the region and informed regarding Beijing’s intent to convene a trilateral summit between the three nations.
Yao Jing, the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, on Wednesday paid a visit to Eshkashem district in north-eastern Badakhshan province and said insurgent activity in the north of Afghanistan is a threat to the region.
Yao said that Beijing is currently working with Kabul and other countries in the fight against insurgency “to prevent their influence in China.”
“We are concerned that the insurgents or the terrorist movements in this region is a threat not only to China but I believe to Afghanistan itself, to Tajikistan and to all neighbors,” he said.
He visited the district to review the security situation and also to increase assistance to Afghanistan in its fight against insurgents.
“In fact we are working with your government, with the regional countries. First we are working for anti-terrorism, second we are increasing our capacitybuilding and certainly we have more regional consensus and coordination as far as anti-terrorism is concerned,” he said.
The former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai in a special Interview with ArianaNews said US wants to use Afghanistan as substrate to shift terrorism into Russia.
He said, “US wants to expand terrorism into Russia by using Afghanistan as substrate.”
Further he went on and demanded the Afghan government to change its foreign relations with the countries that means US should accept its failure in Afghanistan and leave the country; Afghan government should choose Russia, China, India and Iran as allies for ending war in Afghanistan.
“National Unity Government (NUG) should hold clear stance against USA and have United States government to fulfill its commitments specially the exceed of Pakistan, help Afghanistan with reality, or else United States of America should sit aside, and leave us alone so that we could stabilize Afghanistan with the regional countries, Russia, China cooperation.” Former President Hamid Karzai said.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Urban Development and Housing Sayed Saadat Mansour Naderi and the Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Yao Jing on Thursday signed a contract for construction to start on 1,400 apartments in Kabul.
China will fund construction of 10,000 apartments in total with the initial phase totaling 1,400, said Naderi during the signing ceremony.
It is believed that construction work on the apartment buildings will start within two months and that the first phase will be finished in about two years.
The Chinese government has pledged to provide two billion Chinese Yuan (about $300 million USD) for the entire project.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mahmoud Balighi said Iran’s Chabahar port was of critical importance for his country.
Speaking to IRNA on Sunday, he said: “The port which is situated in southeastern Iran is of very vital significance for Afghanistan and regional trade.”
He also said the planned five-party railway link is also important for Afghanistan as it passes through Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China and then travels to Turkey thus connecting all these countries to Europe.
He said the railway which will run for 1,100 km inside Afghanistan will further facilitate access of Afghan businessmen to Chabahar port.
The first ever cargo train from China arrived in the main Hairtan port located in North of Afghanistan on Wednesday, boosting hopes among the Afghan officials to find access to alternative routes for transit.
The train carrying loads of consignments arrived in Hairatan carrying a sign (Central Asia Trains).
The cargo train apparently left Nantong in China and travelled several days to reach to its final destination in the strategic Hairatan port of Afghanistan.
“First ever Cargo Train from China arrived in Hairatan Port of Afghanistan today. Gawadar port of Pakistan won’t longer be our only option,” Javid Faisal, spokesman for Chief Executive Officer’s Office said.
The government of China has pledged a fresh aid package of $2.2 million to Afghanistan as the country attempts to expand role in civilian and military aid to the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan (MoFA) said the latest aid package was announced by the Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan.
According to a statement by MoFA, the Chinese envoy to Afghanistan announced the aid package during a meeting with the deputy foreign minister for administrative affairs Nasir Ahmad Andisha.
The statement further added that the Chinese envoy also discussed regarding programs to train the Afghan diplomats.
Chain’s first military shipment aid reached to Afghanistan on Sunday and was formally delivered to government in Kabul military airport.
The package included transport equipment for the Afghan security forces and ammunition for light weapons.
“Following mutual agreement, this is the first Chines military package donates for Afghan army forces,” said Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar.
He said that China’s military aid will be continued to Afghanistan and in future Afghan forces will receive further military aids including transportation airplanes.
Based on mutual agreement beside economic assistance, China will provide Afghanistan military aids, he added.
