Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Beijing sees Afghanistan as a connecting bridge between Central and South Asia. China’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Yue Xiayon stated this at the international conference "Afghanistan: security and economic development", held on 26 July in Tashkent.

According to him, at present the situation in Afghanistan remains relevant, since the growth of threats and challenges in this country can negatively affect the provision of not only regional, but also global security.

“Today, 23 million people not provided with food. The majority of the population is below the poverty line. This creates conditions for the intensification of the activities of international terrorist structures, including Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and the involvement of the ordinary population in their ranks," the Special Representative of the People’s Republic of China believes.

In this regard, Yue Xiayon is convinced that the international community needs to take measures to assist Afghanistan in overcoming the humanitarian crisis in that country.

According to him, Beijing sees Afghanistan as a connecting bridge between Central and South Asia. At the same time, the Chinese leadership is ready to support the implementation of trans-regional projects, including the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway and the railway connecting Western China with Central Asia. The implementation of such mega-projects will contribute to the establishment of lasting peace on Afghan soil, as well as strengthening regional connectivity.

It should be reminded that special representatives for Afghanistan from more than 20 states of Central and South Asia, Europe, America, the Near and Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region take part in the conference, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the ISMI. 

In addition, heads and specialists of international and regional organizations such as the UN, EU, FAO, ECO, OIC, SCO are represented at the conference. Among the invited leaders and experts from leading think tanks of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, including from all countries of Central Asia, Russia, the United States, Iran, Pakistan, India and Belgium. 

In particular, among the invited "think tanks" are such structures as the Observer Research Foundation, the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis (India), the Center for Global and Strategic Studies, the Islamabad Institute for Political Studies (Pakistan), the Johns Hopkins Institute for Central Asian and Caucasian Studies (USA), institutes for strategic studies under the presidents of Central Asian countries and others.