On January 20, 2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao and President Hamid Karzai of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan extended congratulation telegraph to each other on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

In the telegraph, Hu said that over 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Afghanistan, on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence and with the joint efforts of both sides, the bilateral relations have stood tests of volatility of international situation and changes of their respective domestic situation. After the establishment of the new Afghan government, bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the political, economic and other areas have restored and develop rapidly and China-Afghanistan relations enter into a new phase.

China and Afghanistan are good neighborly countries linked by common mountains and rivers, and to consolidate and develop the good-neighborly friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries is a given policy of the Chinese government. The Chinese government and people will continue to support the peace process of Afghanistan, take an active part in the post-war reconstruction of Afghanistan and work with the Afghan government and people to push China-Afghanistan relations in the new century to higher levels and open a new chapter in the history of China-Afghanistan friendship.

Karzai said in the congratulation telegraph that Afghanistan and China, as two friendly neighbors, jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in a sincere and cordial atmosphere, to which he feels gratified. Afghanistan and China enjoy a long history of friendly relations. Form ancient times the Afghanistan-China friendship has always been established on the basis of good-neighborly friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and mutual respect. We hope to see further deepening and development of friendly relations between the two countries.

Vice President Zeng Qinghong and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing of China and Vice President Ahmad Zia Masood and Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah of Afghanistan also extended telegraph to each other to hail the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.