In the afternoon of December 14, 2022 (GMT+8), the opening ceremony for the Seminar on Finance for Afghanistan hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and organized by MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai) was held online. Fang Meng, from Foreign Economic Cooperation Officeof Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce,andChen Wei, Executive Vice Dean of International Education College of SBS attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.
China and Afghanistan are land neighbors, and have the friendship lasted for a thousand years. Since the founding, the People’s Republic of China, upholding the spirits of internationalism and humanitarianism, has been concerned about and supported the cause of improving people’s livelihood and pursuing development in Afghanistan. The Seminar aims to promote financial exchanges and cooperation between China and Afghanistan, and to open a new window of opportunity for China and Afghanistan to achieve complementary advantages and common development and to enhance the welfare of the peoples.
Fang Meng said that China always attaches great importance to the various difficulties faced by Afghanistan, and China’s unconditional assistance to Afghanistan under the framework of South-South Cooperation is the best manifestation of the thousand-year friendship between the two countries. China has been committed to strengthening pragmatic cooperation between China and Afghanistan in various fields and hopes to drive Afghanistan’s economic reconstruction through the overall development of the region. In recent years, China has made significant progress in reforming its fiscal system, and it is believed that the reform and construction plan of China’s fiscal management system can provide rich and practical resources for this Seminar.
Mr. Chen Wei said that China hopes to play the advantage of a good neighbor and the constructive role of a responsible power, fully implement theTunxi Initiative of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistanon Supporting Economic Reconstruction in and Practical Cooperation with Afghanistanadopted at the Third Foreign Ministers’ Meeting among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan in March 2022, and help the Afghan people truly achieve long-term peace and stable development. China is willing to work closely and support each other with Afghanistan to raise the level of mutual exchanges and cooperation in many fields, especially in the financial field, and open a new window of opportunity for China and Afghanistan to complement each other’s strengths and develop together.
Mr. Safiullah Stanikzai from the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan, the participant representative of the Seminar, expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for its assistance to Afghanistan in various fields such as education, health and trade. During the 2021 earthquake in Afghanistan, China was one of the first countries to lend a helping hand to Afghanistan. China’s many help to Afghanistan reflects China’s role as a responsible power and is the best manifestation of the deep friendship between China and Afghanistan since ancient times. He thinks the arrangements of the Seminar are very useful for people working in the Ministry of Finance, and he can’t wait to participate in this Seminar and learn more about China’s experience and practice in the field of financial management.
The 10-day Seminar will be attended by 20 government officials from the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan.
Written by: Zhang Xinyue
Photos by: Ni Haoran
Reviewed by: Chen Wei
