China and Afghanistan yesterday agreed to strengthen bonds in the battle against terrorism and drug crime.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shows the way to Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai during a welcome ceremony inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing June 19, 2006. [Reuters]

The two nations signed deals on border control, terrorism and drug-related crime, after President Hu Jintao met his counterpart Hamid Karzai in Beijing.

The presidents held an hour-long closed-door meeting in the Great Hall of the People.

It was the third time they had met in a week, following the Shanghai Co-operation Organization's summit on Thursday and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia held in Kazakhstan on Saturday.

A total of 11 documents were signed yesterday, including agreements on civil aviation, agriculture, trade and fighting cross-border crime.

Karzai said China has cultivated close ties with Afghanistan for a long time and the Afghan Government and people are very appreciative of the precious support.

He welcomed a more active and extensive Chinese participation in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

China is one of Afghanistan's major trade partners, with export volume to Afghanistan totalling US$317 million in the 2005-2006 fiscal year, third after Japan and Pakistan.

Karzai also expressed his desire to enhance coordination with China in regional and world affairs, pledging to be the "co-operative bridge" between Beijing and the Central Asian nations.

Observers said the main purpose of Karzai's China tour is to extend and develop bilateral ties.

At present, terrorism, extremism and drug crime pose major threats to Afghan reconstruction, said Yu Sui, a senior researcher with the Research Centre of the Contemporary World.

As SCO member states have co-operated effectively in the fight against such obstacles, it is reasonable for Afghanistan to work closely with the SCO or its individual members to stamp out its own problems.

Signing the agreements with China underlined the urgency.

"Stepping up co-operation with China reflects Afghanistan's strong desire to join the organization," Yu said.

Karzai told reporters earlier that "Afghanistan belongs to the region. It has no other ways, and cannot be left outside the region."

Afghanistan, which shares a 76-kilometre-long border with China, would benefit from China's good neighbourly policy, its aid based on the principles of equality and respect for other countries' sovereignty, and its growing economic strength, added Yu.

Karzai will visit Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region late this afternoon.

In another development, Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan also met with his Afghan counterpart Abdul Rahim Wardak yesterday, pledging to upgrade military ties between the two neighbouring countries.

(China Daily 06/20/2006 page1)