Afghanistan, China to study opening border - minister

BEIJING, June 11 - China and Afghanistan have agreed to study opening the border between the two countries, Afghanistan's foreign minister said on Thursday, urging greater Chinese investment and support for his nation.

Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, visiting China this week, told Reuters the two sides had agreed to feasibility studies soon on opening the 76-kilometre (47-mile) border between them, which lies in remote mountains.

The Wakhan Corridor joining the two sides could become a channel for energy and trade, including to broader Central Asia, said Spanta, stressing that security risks in the area had to be first stifled to make that hope a reality.

"I encourage China to be engaged by more investment in Afghanistan," he said in an interview on the last day of his visit to Beijing.

"I hope in the future both countries can open the road, can build a direct connectivity between the two countries."

The goal of opening a direct land route remains a distant one, and Spanta did not say when that may happen. But Kabul and Washington officials have raised the prospect of China increasing investment and business in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan relies on aid for around 90 percent of its budget, but its mines minister told Reuters earlier this year that the country is sitting on vast reserves of mineral wealth.

China, with its constant appetite for resources, would be a promising candidate to expand mining in Afghanistan.

China's top integrated copper producer, Jiangxi Copper Co and China Metallurgical Group Corp, are already going ahead with exploration of the vast Aynak Copper Mine, south of Kabul, after they won the contract to develop it last year.

Spanta said he would welcome Chinese bidding for the right to mine the big Hajigak iron deposit, which was opened to tenders earlier this year.

But the minister also said Afghanistan must strengthen security and stability to encourage great investment.

"I think the first obstacle is still the security issue," he said of opening up a trade corridor with China. "This is the main challenge that we have to face."

Spanta said that Afghanistan was likely to see violence and militant attacks subside after the country holds its presidential election in August.

Chinese officials have said Xinjiang region in their country's northwest, next to Afghanistan, is exposed to militant threats from across the frontiers of South and Central Asia.

Human rights groups have said Beijing has exaggerated that threat to justify harsh controls on the largely Muslim Uighur people who make up a little under half of Xinjiang's population.