Chinese president meets Afghan President Hamid Karzai --- SHANGHAI, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Shanghai on Monday, vowing to back Afghanistan's efforts to maintain national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. -- Karzai is in China to attend the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia slated for Tuesday and Wednesday in Shanghai. -- Reiterating China's friendly policies toward Afghanistan, Xi told Karzai China remains a reliable friend of the country despite changes in the international and regional situation. -- "We are ready to maintain high-level exchanges with Afghanistan, step up cooperation in various areas and offer aid to the country's reconstruction of peace," Xi said. -- He vowed joint efforts with Afghanistan to facilitate the construction of a Silk Road economic belt, adding China supports its companies to invest in Afghanistan. -- Xi urged the Afghan government to take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and organizations in the country. -- He vowed to enhance cooperation with Afghanistan in preventing and fighting the "three evil forces" of separatism, extremism and terrorism. -- "China hopes to see a unified, stable, developing and friendly Afghanistan," Xi said, vowing China's constructive role in backing the country's efforts to maintain national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and supporting an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned national reconciliation process. -- "We respect the Afghan people's choice, and hope the ongoing presidential elections will be a new starting point for the country's peaceful transition, solidarity and stability," Xi said. --- The Chinese president also vowed to promote a greater role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on the issue of Afghanistan. -- Xi praised the important contribution Karzai has made in promoting bilateral ties, and welcomed him to pay more visits to China and continue his positive role in facilitating Sino-Afghan relations. --- Karzai hailed the brotherhood of both countries and called China a reliable neighbor. Afghanistan appreciates China's valuable support for the country's peaceful reconstruction, he said. -- Afghanistan is committed to developing close good-neighborly ties with China no matter which candidate wins the election, Karzai said. -- He said he expects China's continued help for stability, reconciliation and development in Afghanistan, as well as for training Afghan personnel in various fields. -- Afghanistan is willing to make joint efforts with China to combat terrorism and transnational crimes, he added. --- Earlier the Chinese government announced it will offer 10 million yuan (1.62 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. - More, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-05/19/c_133345358.htm