Afghan president meets Chinese PM

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here on Friday. Li said China and Afghanistan, without historical resentment and realistic contradiction, have friendship and cooperation. China will steadily pursue a friendly policy towards Afghanistan, deepen their strategic cooperative partnership, enhance cooperation in trade and investment and promote major projects on energy resources. China encourages competent Chinese enterprises to invest in Afghanistan, said Li, calling for security and protection from the Afghan side, according to Xinhua news agency. He added that China would also like to provide assistance, within its own capacity, to Afghanistan, so as to realize reciprocity and benefit the two peoples. China respects the way of development chosen by the Afghan people according to their national situation, appreciates the efforts paid by the Afghan government for a stable interim, supports Afghanistan in promotion of a comprehensive and inclusive national reconciliation, and hopes the country can achieve long-term peace and stability, economic prosperity and contentment for the people, Li said.