On 28-31 October 2014, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani was invited to pay a state visit to China. During the visit, President Ghani held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, had separate meetings with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chairman Zhang Dejiang of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress, and attended the opening ceremony of the 4th Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process. It was President Ghani’s first state visit abroad after taking office, with great significance, rich content and fruitful results.

First, China-Afghanistan political relations have entered a new stage. The leaders of both countries held in-depth and fruitful talks, summarized the development experience of the bilateral relations, and jointly planned their future cooperation. Both sides committed to maintain close cooperation and strengthen strategic communication, so as to push forward the bilateral Strategic Cooperative Partnership. President Xi reiterated that China supports Afghanistan in safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" peace and reconciliation process, and hopes to see a united, stable, growing and friendly Afghanistan. Premier Li raised five points regarding the settlement of the Afghan issue:  Afghanistan must be governed by the Afghan people; promote political reconciliation; speed up economic reconstruction; explore the path of development; be provided stronger external support.

Second, China-Afghanistan economic and trade cooperation has ushered in new opportunities. China firmly supports the Afghan peace and reconstruction, and stands ready to help Afghanistan enhance capacity-building for independent development and step up cooperation with Afghanistan in areas of infrastructure, agriculture, water conservancy and exploration and utilization of mineral resources. China has decided to offer Afghanistan grant assistance of 500 million RMB yuan this year, and 1.5 billion RMB yuan in the coming three years. China will also train 3000 Afghan professionals in various fields in the next 5 years. China wishes to see Afghanistan fully leverage its geographical and resource advantages, and actively participate in China's Silk Road Economic Belt construction. China-Afghanistan Business Forum was held successfully, and the second meeting of China-Afghanistan Joint Committee on Economic and Trade will be convened soon. The two countries share broad prospect in mutual-benefit economic cooperation.

Third, a new chapter of China-Afghanistan security cooperation has been opened up. Both sides expressed strong opposition to all forms of terrorism, extremism, separatism and organized crimes, and agreed to enhance intelligence sharing and border management, and conduct joint law enforcement to combat such transnational threats as illegal immigration, trafficking in persons, illegal arms and drugs. The Afghan side committed to take tangible measures to enhance the security of Chinese institutions and personnel in Afghanistan. The Chinese side will hold workshops for Afghanistan in fields of counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics. We are convinced that the bilateral security cooperation will create enabling conditions for achieving peace, stability and development in Afghanistan and the region at an early date.

Fourth, China-Afghanistan people-to-people and cultural exchanges have entered into a new stage. Both leaders agreed to hold a series of commemorative activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan as the Year of Friendship and Cooperation between the two countries, and promote exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture, education, youth, women and media. China offered Afghanistan 500 scholarships in the next 5 years, and committed to support Chinese language education in Afghanistan. Both sides agreed on mutual exception of visas for holders of diplomatic passports, and agreed to take further measures to facilitate bilateral personnel exchanges.

Fifth, international and regional cooperation between China and Afghanistan achieved new outcomes. The two countries jointly held the 4th Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan. Premier Li and President Ghani attended the opening ceremony, along with Foreign Ministers or senior representatives from 14 regional member states, 16 supporting states outside the region, 12 international and regional organizations and 4 guests of the host country. With the joint efforts made by the two countries and other sides, the conference achieved great success, which instilled new impetus to the Istanbul Process and regional cooperation on Afghanistan as well as became a new model of close bilateral cooperation in the international and regional issues. Besides, both leaders committed to enhance communication, coordination and cooperation within the multilateral mechanisms as the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation etc.

Both countries are standing at a new historical starting point. Afghanistan is in the crucial period of transition, while China is entering a period of comprehensively deepening reform. In October, the 4th plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee drew up a strategic plan for comprehensively advancing the rule of law, with the general target of forming a system serving the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and building a country under the socialist rule of law. China will comprehensively deepen reform and advance the rule of law, and further explore the dividends of reform and system, so as to lay a solid foundation for a healthy, balanced and sustainable development in the future. Neighbors wish each other well, just as family members do. With further development and prosperity, China will benefit Afghanistan in a better way and provide more assistance and support for Afghanistan. We sincerely expect to join hands with Afghanistan to continuously promote the tangible cooperation in every field, with a view of consistently deepening the bilateral Strategic Cooperative Partnership and striving to blaze a trail for a better future of the two countries together.