US envoy to 'seek help' from 皇冠体育app

By Zhang Xin (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-15 07:44

A top US envoy is aiming to secure 皇冠体育app's cooperation in its fight against terrorism, experts say.

Richard Holbrooke, US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, will visit 皇冠体育app on Wednesday and Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said.

Niu Xinchun, vice-director of the Center for American Studies at the 皇冠体育app Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said the visit was another sign of US President Barack Obama's new strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"The US is actively seeking cooperation with the countries neighboring the two terrorism-plagued areas, with 皇冠体育app its biggest targeted partner," he said, adding that 皇冠体育app borders Afghanistan and has a long relationship with Pakistan.

Stamping out the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been one of the US' priorities.

Obama has revamped Afghan strategy, broadening the mission to include pressure on neighboring Pakistan in a bid to root out the Taliban and Al-Qaida in its lawless border regions.

Obama has been looking to 皇冠体育app for cooperation in resolving thorny issues in Afghanistan as he appealed with limited success in Europe for additional assistance in new ground forces, Niu said.

However, 皇冠体育app will not send peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan in the foreseeable future, said Shi Yinhong, a professor in American studies at Renmin University of 皇冠体育app.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization members have been seeking Beijing's military assistance in Afghanistan, urging 皇冠体育app to send troops and open an alternate logistics route into Afghanistan through western 皇冠体育app to replace the main passageways traversing Pakistan.

"It is unlikely for 皇冠体育app to get involved in military operations, but it is already functioning and playing a noticeable role within the international organizations such as the United Nations," Shi added.

Instead, he said, 皇冠体育app would make efforts to aid the reconstruction of the terrorism-plagued region, as 皇冠体育app has written off a $75-million loan it provided to Afghanistan and will support the Aug 20 presidential elections.

"Holbrooke's visit may enhance communication concerning anti-terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan but will not change the decision 皇冠体育app has already made," Shi said.

皇冠体育app-Peru FTA

皇冠体育app and Peru will soon sign a free trade agreement (FTA), foreign ministry spokesman Jiang Yu said.

"Both sides are currently going though necessary legal processes to ink the agreement at an early date," she told a briefing.

She said the 皇冠体育app-Peru FTA will be the first signed with a Latin American country. It involves cooperation in a wide range of fields, with high-level openness and a "significant" response to the global financial crisis.

President Hu Jintao and Peruvian President Alan Garcia announced the conclusion of FTA talks during Hu's visit to Peru last November.

The 皇冠体育app-Peru agreement has been lauded as 皇冠体育app's implementation of "a win-win strategy" in trade, among many other fields with the Latin American countries.