China to support Pak, Afghan in improving rail, road network

China has extended support to build a hydrodam and improve railway and highway connectivity between Pakistan and Afghanistan as the Communist giant seeks to play a larger role in the war-torn country following US troop withdrawal.
China has expressed support relevant initiatives to build hydropower dam as well as railways and highways connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve the connectivity and economic integration between the two counties, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here today.
The support was conveyed during the first strategic trilateral dialogue between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan held in Kabul yesterday, Hua said.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao headed the Chinese delegation at the meeting during which the three sides discussed practical cooperation and reached consensus.
Another important topic discussed at the meeting was to maintain peace and stability between Afghanistan and Pakistan, she said, adding that China and Pakistan reaffirmed their support for the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan hoped that China and Pakistan will play a constructive role for the improvement of political security, counter-terrorism and economic cooperation with Pakistan.

"We believe the trilateral strategic dialogue is very useful and meaningful practice. We would like to press ahead with the practical cooperation between three with interconnectivity," Hua said.

Beijing earlier hosted a Taliban delegation and held talks with them about the reconciliation process.
China is seeking to play an active role in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the US and NATO troops withdrawal amid apprehensions that the void could lead to Al-Qaeda and Taliban staging a comeback.
China has already beefed up security along the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Afghanistan to prevent infiltration of the militants of East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) which has been carrying violent attacks in the volatile Xinjiang where the Uygur Muslims were restive over settlements of Hans.
China earlier held talks with India and Russia besides Pakistan on Afghanistan and hosted the new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani besides holding a meeting of Istanbul Conference on Afghanistan.