Ghani: China to help Afghan national infrastructure plan

Want China Times, Xinhua and Staff Reporter 2014-11-02

President Ashraf Ghani, left, and Premier Li Keqiang shake hands at the 4th Ministerial
Conference of Istanbul Process of Afghanistan in Beijing, Oct. 31. (Photo/Xinhua)

President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai of Afghanistan said Saturday that China will help the Afghan government in launching a national plan focusing on strengthening Afghanistan's infrastructure. "Following the recent commitment and promises by China, a high-ranking Chinese delegation will visit Afghanistan in the near future. The delegation will work with a delegation from the Afghanistan side to give a practical shape to those promises," Ghani told reporters one day after returning from a four-day state visit to China.

China will help Afghanistan to frame a National Infrastructural Plan in the coming six months, Ghani said. "The meaning of the National Infrastructural Plan is how we will decide about building roads, railways, hydropower dams, houses and settlement and how we will learn from successful experience of China and East Asia," Ghani said.

To a query regarding China's assistance to Afghan security forces, Ghani noted that the two sides had reached an agreement in principle, adding that China will help Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in training and equipping the ANSF in countering roadside bombs and landmines besides helping them on air transporting

China will donate 500 million yuan (about US$81.4 million) by the end of 2014 and will provide with 1.5 billion yuan (about US$244 million) in the next three years to Afghanistan, Ghani said.