Afghanistan Times
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By Farhad Naibkhel
KABUL: The second China-South Asia Cooperation Forum (C-SACF) was held at the bank of Fuxian Lake in Yuxi city of China from June 10th to 11th, 2019 to foster mutual trust and build a new type of partnership and mutual beneficial relation between China and South Asian countries.
The session was participated by officials and media representatives from China, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, who discussed further cooperation between China and South Asia. Participants discussed topics over closer cooperation in the terms of interconnectivity, business and poverty reduction.
Yunnan Provincial Governor, Ruan Chengfa said that the C-SACF is a new initiative for boosting commercial deals and cooperation between China and South Asian countries.
Speaking at inaugural ceremony of the second C-SACF, he said that “running of the C-SACF aims to further strengthen local exchanges and cooperation between China and South Asia and align the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of South Asian countries.”
“I believe that as long as we work together, together; hand in hand, and pragmatic cooperation. It is certain that the forum will be able to achieve more fruitful results; we will certainly be able to take more solid steps towards cooperation and development.”
Mme. Lin Yi, Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries called south Asia as one of “four cradles of civilization” in the world, saying that it has a long history and splendid culture, a large, population rich in products, geographical location advantages and South Asia countries are linked by land, mountains and rivers and belong to developing countries.
“In recent years, the promotion of the Belt and Road’s initiative in China and the economic social development of South Asian countries the two sides have conducted extensive exchanges and cooperation in economic and cultural fields,” she said.
Ms. Lin insisted that she believed the C-SACF would be able to reach new consensus in various area and achieve new results.
She elaborated that the natural results of the development of China and South Asian counters show that the two sides will continue to work together in the future. It has a deep social foundation and bright prospects for cooperation.
Ajmal Ahmadi, acting minister of Afghanistan’s commerce and industries said in an interview with Afghanistan Times at the sidelines of second C-SACF that China has embarked on very large strategy called Belt and Road initiative that was started by the President of China Xi Jinping in 2013 as it means connecting of Central Asia with China. Last year China had also embarked on a form of mechanism for a greater reintegration with south Asia and this is the China and South Asia economic forum. Last Year Afghanistan’s CEO Deputy Mohammad Mohaqiq had attended.
He said that the second C-SACF running was aimed to really insure that there is greater reintegration from the Chine with the region.
From Afghanistan prospective, President Ghani’s objective is also greater region integration and we can see there is number of different programs that we have like corridor program, second is Chabahar program, so Afghanistan’s national strategy in terms of regional integration is very much aligned with the China‘s regional economic integration and for that reason it is very important for the Afghan government to be active in this forum, he added.
It is pertained to mention that in 12th June an exhibition was launched in International Convention and Exhibition Center in Kunming city, where all aforementioned south Asian countries including Afghanistan put their goods on display. The participants called running of exhibition a good opportunity for introducing goods and seeking markets.
