Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Thursday, on the sidelines of the fourth Meeting of Foreign Ministers among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan.

Qin said China respects the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, respects the independent choices made by the Afghan people, as well as never interferes in Afghanistan's internal affairs nor seeks selfish interests in the country.

China firmly supports Afghanistan to build an open and inclusive political structure, adopt moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, and engage in friendly exchanges with all countries, especially neighboring countries, according to Qin.

He stressed that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is a terrorist organization listed by the UN Security Council and designated as such by the Chinese government in accordance with law.

China hopes that Afghanistan will fulfill its commitment in earnest and take more effective measures to crack down on it and protect Chinese citizens and institutes in Afghanistan, Qin added.

He also mentioned that China is willing to cooperate with Afghanistan to provide aid, push forward the Belt and Road Initiative, reinforce exchanges on governing, train professional talents, counter narcotics cultivation, promote alternative development for the country's independent and sustainable development.

Muttaqi said he appreciated China's long-term political support for Afghanistan. He also praised China's newly released paper on its position on the Afghan issue.

He said Afghanistan respects China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said Afghanistan understands China's safety concerns, and will never allow any forces to take advantage of its territory to harm China's interests. Afghanistan will also fully protect Chinese citizens and institutes based in the country, he added.

Muttaqi also expressed Afghanistan's hopes of taking active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.