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China seeks deeper military relations with Afghanistan

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(Last Updated On: October 25, 2022)

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China wants to have deeper military ties with Afghanistan, including counter-terrorism intelligence cooperation and joint drills, a senior Chinese officer told a visiting Afghan envoy.

China is working with Pakistan and the United States to broker peace talks to end a Taliban insurgency that has raged for 15 years in Afghanistan, but last month the militants refused to take part.

The U.S.-led NATO mission ceased combat operations at the end of 2014, and has withdrawn most of its forces. China says it does not seek to fill a void left by their withdrawal.

But, it has promised to play a “huge” commercial role in helping rebuild the country, where the Taliban seek to re-establish their Islamist regime.

China is very nervous at the prospect Islamist militants from its restive far western region of Xinjiang getting support from the Taliban and other groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan and central Asia.

Fang Fenghui, a member of the powerful Central Military Commission which controls China’s armed forces, told Mohammad Hanif Atmar, the Afghan president’s national security advisor that their two armed forces had always had good relations, China’s Defence Ministry said late on Wednesday.

China is willing to “deepen counter-terrorism intelligence, joint drills, personnel training and other areas of practical cooperation”, the ministry cited Fang as saying.

China wants to promote a regional counter-terrorism mechanism to “jointly protect regional peace, stability and development”, he added.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which prizes its long-time alliance with China, have been fraught with mistrust in the past.

For year, Afghan leaders repeatedly accused Pakistan of harboring Taliban militants and covertly supporting their cohorts. But, the Taliban’s recent refusal to join a peace process and ongoing offensive has raised doubts over how much influence Islamabad still exerts over the militants.

Atmar told Fang Afghanistan was willing to work with China to fight terrorism, and explained the Afghan role in combating the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which Beijing blames for much of the violence in Xinjiang, the ministry said.

China’s official Xinhua news agency said Atmar also met China’s domestic security chief Meng Jianzhu, where they discussed counter-terrorism too.

China’s vice president last year pledged infrastructure and security support for Afghanistan, signing several deals during a rare high-level Chinese visit to Kabul.

China has become increasingly concerned about what it calls extremists and separatists Xinjiang, where violence has killed hundreds in recent years, and sees security in Afghanistan as key to stability at home.

Rights groups, however, blame unrest in Xinjiang on the frustration of the largely Muslim Uighur people from the region over China’s controls on their culture and religion, charges Beijing denies.

 

Reuters

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Eight dead in rain across Afghanistan over past four days

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(Last Updated On: April 29, 2024)

Mullah Janan Saiq, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Natural Disasters, says that eight people have died, three people have been injured and 20 hectares of agricultural land have been destroyed as a result of the rains and floods in the past four days.

Saiq also said that as a result of the recent rains in the country, 140 houses were damaged or destroyed and 20 kilometers of roads were also destroyed across the country.
According to him, 30 cows were also lost.

“Fortunately, as a result of the recent rains, the water level in the country has increased, the underground water has been strengthened and the farmers are happy,”
he said.

According to him, the Ministry of Natural Disasters has directed its directorates in the provinces to use all their facilities to help the victims.

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Ghori State Cement in Baghlan increases production

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(Last Updated On: April 28, 2024)

Officials at Ghori State Cement in Baghlan province say the amount of cement produced at this plant has increased compared to the past.

According to company officials, 150,000 tons of cement was produced in 1402 [solar year] and they are trying to increase the amount to 180,000 tons this year.

“Last year, we successfully produced 150,000 tons of cement and sold it to the market. Fortunately, in 1402, we had more than 200 million afghanis in revenue,” said Abdul Wakil Qayumi, financial and administrative deputy of the company.

The plant officials stated that efforts are underway to increase the production capacity, and with the increase of the production capacity, they will produce 1000 bags of cement per day.

“Currently, our four ovens are active, and we produce approximately 1,000 to 1,200 tons of cement in twenty-four hours,” said Mohammad Tahir, packaging manager for the company.

In this company, jobs are created for 750 individuals, and some workers have asked the traders to invest in the country and provide work for young people.

“Some more factories should be built in our country so that less foreign cement is imported into the country and we use our own products,” said one of the company workers.

Ghori Baghlan Cement Company was established about 40 years ago and is considered one of the largest cement production companies in Afghanistan.

The management of this company is carried out by the National Development Corporation (NDC).

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Regional countries should jointly expand stability and development: Deputy PM

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(Last Updated On: April 28, 2024)

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, Political Deputy Prime Minister, has said in a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan in Kabul that regional countries should play their role in the implementation of large regional projects.

Kabir also invited Kazakh businessmen to invest in Afghanistan, his office said in a statement.

He added that the Islamic Emirate fully controls Afghanistan’s borders, has eliminated drugs and corruption, and restored national sovereignty.

According to the statement, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin appreciated the progress made by the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan and said that his country is ready for long-term trade, transit and investment relations with Afghanistan.

Zhumangarin expressed his country’s readiness to grant scholarships to Afghan youth and added that Afghanistan is currently an example of a peaceful country in the region, and due to this, the world wants to establish relations with the Islamic Emirate in various fields.

He also called for the start of direct flights between Kabul and Almaty and said that his country is ready for bilateral cooperation with the Afghan government in the cultural field.

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