On 15 September 2013, H.E. Mr. Deng Xijun, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, paid a courtesy call to H.E. Mr. Zalmai Rassoul, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

H.E. Mr. Rassoul welcomed H.E. Mr. Deng Xijun as the new Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan, and indicated that it was the priority of the Afghan foreign policy to develop relations with China. The Afghan side would render due assistance and support to the work of H.E. Ambassador Deng and the Chinese Embassy in Kabul. He highly appraised the Afghanistan-China Strategic and Cooperative Partnership, and treasured the time-honored and deep-rooted friendship with China. The Afghan government and people regarded the Chinese counterpart as the most reliable and good friend, neighbor and partner, and were grateful to the support and assistance from China all along. We were proud to have such a great neighbor as China. Currently, Afghanistan was undergoing the crucial period of transition and transformation, and needed unremitting support from the international community to the Afghan peace and reconstruction process, in which China had been playing an indispensable and constructive role consistently. He encouraged more Chinese enterprises to invest in Afghanistan in the spirit of mutual benefit, and made due contribution to the stability and development of Afghanistan and the region as a whole.

Ambassador Deng expressed his pleasure to meet with H.E. Mr. Rassoul, and said that Afghanistan had made remarkable and encouraging achievements in reconstruction of all walks of life over the past decade. It deserved to be celebrated and appraised. Being as the Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan, he took a vital responsibility at the critical time of development of China-Afghanistan ties, and would like to work closely with the Afghan side to deepen mutual trust politically, enhance pragmatic cooperation in all areas, and expand people-to-people association, with a view of promoting the Sino-Afghan strategic and cooperative partnership to a new stage.

Both sides also exchanged views on bilateral high-level visits, regional cooperation on Afghanistan and other issues of common concerned.