China will provide Afghanistan with security equipment and training, as the govt battles a resilient terrorist insurgency as the Afghan President Xi Jinping told his Afghan counterpart earlier today.
Beijing is keen to see a stable Afghanistan, worried about what it says are separatist groups in China’s far western region of Xinjiang, which is close to Afghanistan.
“Increasing security cooperation suits both countries’ interests. China will continue to supply Afghanistan with security supplies, technology, equipment and training assistance,” Xi told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during a meeting in Russia.
Xi is in the Russian city of Ufa for a summit of the leaders of the BRICS emerging nations, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, during which Afghanistan’s security is to be discussed.
The statement did not give further details on Chinese assistance, but Beijing has long pledged security cooperation with Afghanistan and has been bracing for more responsibility there as US forces have scaled back.
China says it does not seek to replace departing Western troops in Afghanistan but has promised to play a “huge” commercial role in helping rebuild the country.
