China will “continue to help the Afghan people maintain security and stability and realize peace and reconstruction. We will work together to build a Central Asia that features no conflict,” he said.

 

He also pledged Chinese support for Central Asian nations’ efforts to bolster security, defence, and counterterrorism. He pledged to “jointly promote peace” in Afghanistan.

 

Beijing has disclosed intentions for a regional anti-terrorism training facility for the security forces of Central Asia.

 

The Hindu reported that the Chinese government sees political Islam as a threat and is accused of imprisoning some one million individuals in China’s predominantly Muslim northwest in what Beijing says is a campaign to stop extremism.

 

 “We should remain zero-tolerant to the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism,” Mr Xi said.

 

This comes at a Friday, May 19 meeting with the region’s leaders that emphasized Beijing’s expanding clout. Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged to expand railway and other economic linkages with Central Asia and suggested exploring oil and gas sources cooperatively.

 

In an address to the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, Mr Xi stated, “We need to expand economic and trade ties.”

 

This comes as Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, stated in a TV interview that a stable Afghanistan is for the benefit of the whole region.

 

He also stressed that engaging with Afghanistan is essential to prioritizing “countering terrorism and narcotic smuggling” and forming an inclusive government.

 

According to Sharif, Afghanistan is suffering several difficulties, and both Iran, Pakistan, and the international community should do their part to improve the country’s citizens’ economic circumstances.