Visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai and China's Hu Jintao pledged to step up cooperation in maintaining security in the region, while presiding over the signing of a series of economic and trade agreements.

China "will always support and aid Afghanistan in its peaceful reconstruction and support Afghanistan's efforts to establish sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity," China Central Television quoted Hu as saying.

"Both sides should ... actively strike at terrorism, separatism and religious extremism and organised cross-border crimes in an effort to maintain regional peace and stability."

Hu called for deeper political ties and more visits between leaders, while urging economic cooperation in mining, agriculture, hydro-electric and irrigation and infrastructure projects, the report said.

"China plays a very important role in the stability of Afghanistan and the region," CCTV quoted Karzai as saying.

"Afghanistan is willing to cooperate with China and other countries in the region in advancing peace and stability... Afghanistan is honoured to have a friend and neighbour like China."

Karzai also pledged to work to guarantee the safety of Chinese companies and personnel in Afghanistan.

"I am confident that... your visit will definitely help promote practical cooperation between China and Afghanistan and take our comprehensive and cooperative partnership to a new level," Hu said.

Hu also urged Afghanistan to play a greater role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a grouping that includes numerous Central Asian states as well as China and Russia. Afghanistan currently maintains an observer status within the grouping.

More than eight years after the Taliban regime was toppled by US-led forces, China has been increasingly seen as a key player in maintaining stability in Afghanistan, particularly in the future when US troops pull out.

Karzai's spokesman Waheed Omar had said ahead of the Afghan leader's visit that economic issues would dominate his talks.

China has a keen interest in Afghanistan's natural resources. Three years ago, a Chinese group put a record three billion dollars into the Aynak copper mine, one of the biggest in the world.

Beijing has also provided its neighbour with aid and assistance, giving Afghanistan 130 million dollars towards reconstruction efforts, and pledging another 75 million dollars.

But it has not joined the US-led military effort there despite the risk of instability were an Islamist regime to return to power in Kabul, and the on-going scourge of drug trafficking.

"Given its long-term political and military relationship with Pakistan, and its economic interests in Afghanistan, China could substantially contribute to improving stability," said Abraham M. Denmark at research institute the Center for a New American Security.

This is Karzai's first visit to China since his re-election last year, and his fourth as Afghan president.

He was to meet with Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday before leaving China.

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