On June 12, 2008, the International Conference in Support of Afghanistan opened in Paris, France. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi attended the conference and delivered a speech.

Yang: China welcomes the National Development Strategy formulated by Afghanistan and hopes that its implementation will inject new vitalities to the execution of the Afghanistan Compact and bring a bright future to the Afghan people.

Yang: We need a safe and secure Afghanistan. China calls upon all ethnic groups and political factions in Afghanistan to remain committed to the long-term interests of the country and the people, continue to nurture and act on a "reconciliation culture", and uphold and strengthen the authority of the Afghan central government. China supports the accelerated development of the Afghan military and police forces and the continued progress in the security sector reform.

Yang: We need an Afghanistan that enjoys development. In its National Development Strategy, Afghanistan has made poverty reduction and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals its overall objectives. We highly appreciate this wise decision. Since 2002, China has pledged US$170 million of assistance to Afghanistan. This year, we will offer another RMB50 million of assistance to Afghanistan.

Yang: We need an Afghanistan that stays far away from drugs. We support Afghanistan in implementing the National Drug Control Strategy that aims to halve the acreage of opium by 2013. We will continue to enhance our cooperation with Afghanistan on law enforcement and intelligence sharing and take an active part in the international efforts in setting up an anti-drug security belt alongside the borders of Afghanistan.

Yang: We need a sustainable Afghanistan. The National Development Strategy underscores the importance of improved governance, rule of law and the capacity to deliver public services. We are supportive of that. Capacity building and personnel training have always been the focus in China's assistance to Afghanistan. We will continue to consult with Afghanistan and train Afghan professionals in the fields of trade, commerce, agriculture, customs, drugs control and security.

Yang: It is the shared aspiration of all countries to see Afghanistan achieve success in reconstruction and embark on the path of steady development and we have all been working toward this goal. This serves not only the interests of the Afghan people but also world peace and security and this is where the responsibility of the United Nations lies. China highly appreciates the UN peace-building efforts in Afghanistan and will continue to support it.

Representatives from over 80 countries and international organizations attended the conference, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The conference adopted a Joint Chairmen Declaration.