China: Afghanistan backing Beijing stance on South China Sea

BEIJING – China says landlocked Afghanistan has expressed support for Beijing’s stance on the South China Sea and its fight against extremists in its far west.

The Foreign Ministry said Afghanistan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah made the statements in a meeting Monday with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing.

The ministry said Li in return said China wants to help with Afghanistan’s national reconciliation process, provide assistance for projects including the construction of low-cost housing and boost imports of Afghan agricultural projects.

China has been seeking support from friendly nations for its bilateral approach to settling South China Sea territorial disputes. That’s partly to counter efforts by the U.S. , Philippines and others to challenge China’s claim to virtually the entire sea and creation of new islands out of coral reefs.

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