Trilateral Dialogue: What China can do for war torn Afghanistan?
Source : Muhammad Arif Date : 21-10-2014 By : Nihao-Salam News Network
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Cooperation between China, Afghanistan and Pakistan will benefit the region and building mutual trust and friendly consultations between the two countries should be encouraged to promote cooperation.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Sun Weidong said while speaking at the two-day international conference, a first-ever trilateral dialogue on China-Afghanistan-Pakistan. The dialogue was jointly organized Pakistan-China Institute and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) in Islamabad from Octo, 19-20, 2014.
Presenting Chinese perspective on Afghanistan, Sun Weidong said “China believes that national reconciliation is inevitable for Afghanistan to achieve its objectives, added further, “China is traditionally friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, and “It respects independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.”
On rebuilding Afghanistan, Chinese envoy highlighted three key threats for the region as well as for Afghanistan – “terrorism, extremism and narcotics and assured cooperation in all avenues saying “China is also ready to extend cooperation in this regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan.” Both Afghanistan and Pakistan are close neighboring countries and are good neighbors to China,he added.
Highlighting the need to uphold the “sovereignty, integrity and security” of Afghanistan, Ambassador Weidong welcomed international community to help Afghanistan improve its security situation.
China is biggest neighbor to both Afghanistan and Pakistan, so China is devoted for the early settlement of Afghan issue and we have taken an active part,” he said.
China and Pakistan enjoy a time tested friendship and economic partnership said Gen. Noel Khokar, Director General, ISSRA at National Defence University. He emphasized China’s role in improving relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan adding that “China can help enhance mutual and understanding between neighbors”. He further added that there is need for increasing dialogue with institutes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Talking about increasing cultural and economic linkages between three neighbors, Prof. Li Xiguang, Director Pakistan Study Center, Tsinghua University said that Silk Road Economic Zone, Pakistan-China Economic Corridor & Central Asia Economic Belt could bring tremendous economic opportunities for three neighbors ,China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said China is boosting regional integration through economic and cultural ties.
Riaz Khokar, a former Ambassador to China and a key diplomat with expertise on regional securities and challenges, also suggested more Chinese role in Afghanistan through cultural and economic partnerships as it could help stabilize and prosper Afghanistan besides countering challenges of terrorism.
He also emphasized the need to hold diplomacy dialogues which are fundamental to both peace and stability in the region.
Presenting Afghan perspective on Chinese role in Afghanistan’s development, Dr. Farouq Azam, Chairman, Movement for Peaceful Transformation of Afghanistan said the new relations with China will create a new look in relations with Pakistan. Both countries will give a new prosperous phase to the region, “let us act now,” he added.
Speaking on China’s economic integration policy for the region, Ms. Li Qingyan, Asst. Research Fellow at Department of International Strategic Studies, China Institute of International Studies, said South Asia is undergoing political and economic transformation, and “economic development and mutual prosperity are common goals of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan so China is willing to achieve these goals.
The leading diplomats, scholars and researchers attending the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral dialogue agreed with consensus to adopt a collective approach toward countering challenges of security and stability in three neighbors; China Afghanistan and Pakistan. They suggested boosting mutual cooperation; enhancing cultural, academic and people to people contacts to bring better understanding and improve trust level between three countries as China Afghanistan and Pakistan share borders, culture and can share the bright future destiny too.