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FILE - In this file photo taken Tuesday, May 20, 2014, Afghanistan's then President Hamid Karzai, from left, reaches out to shake hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan watches before a group photo for the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Shanghai, China. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai travels to China on Tuesday, Oct. 28, signaling the pivotal role he hopes Beijing will play in Afghanistan's future, not only in the economic reconstruction of his war-ravaged country after U.S. and allied combat troops leave by the end of the year but also in a strategic foreign policy aimed at building peace across a region long riven by mistrust and violence. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool, File)(The Associated Press)

FILE - In this file photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, right, walks past Chinese President Xi Jinping as they arrive at the Monument to the People's Heroes during a ceremony marking Martyr's Day at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai travels to China on Tuesday, Oct. 28, signaling the pivotal role he hopes Beijing will play in Afghanistan's future, not only in the economic reconstruction of his war-ravaged country after U.S. and allied combat troops leave by the end of the year but also in a strategic foreign policy aimed at building peace across a region long riven by mistrust and violence. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)(The Associated Press)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, second left, arrives for a press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the at presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ghani Ahmadzai travels to China on Tuesday, Oct. 28, signaling the pivotal role he hopes Beijing will play in Afghanistan's future, not only in the economic reconstruction of his war-ravaged country after U.S. and allied combat troops leave by the end of the year but also in a strategic foreign policy aimed at building peace across a region long riven by mistrust and violence. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)(The Associated Press)

In this photo taken Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai speaks during a press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ghani Ahmadzai travels to China on Tuesday, Oct. 28, signaling the pivotal role he hopes Beijing will play in Afghanistan's future, not only in the economic reconstruction of his war-ravaged country after U.S. and allied combat troops leave by the end of the year but also in a strategic foreign policy aimed at building peace across a region long riven by mistrust and violence. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)(The Associated Press)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai listens during a press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ghani Ahmadzai travels to China on Tuesday, Oct. 28, signaling the pivotal role he hopes Beijing will play in Afghanistan's future, not only in the economic reconstruction of his war-ravaged country after U.S. and allied combat troops leave by the end of the year but also in a strategic foreign policy aimed at building peace across a region long riven by mistrust and violence. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)(The Associated Press)

KABUL, Afghanistan The new Afghan president travels to China this week, signaling the pivotal role he hopes Beijing will play in Afghanistan's future, not only in the economic reconstruction of the war-ravaged country after U.S. and allied combat troops leave by the end of the year but also in a strategic foreign policy aimed at building peace across a region long riven by mistrust and violence.

Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai will leave Kabul on Tuesday for a three-day visit to China, where he will meet President Xi Jinping, as well as potential investors to bankroll Afghanistan's development as it emerges from 30 years of war impoverished, wracked by corruption, and still struggling to contain the Taliban insurgency.

He will lead a delegation of Afghan businessmen at a summit where he hopes to attract Chinese investment to develop a mining industry as the bedrock of the economy, after more than a decade of dependence on international military and aid largesse. He will also attend the multilateral Istanbul Ministerial Process to discuss regional security, economic and political issues.

Since he took was sworn into office in late September, the president's first trip abroad was to Saudi Arabia on Saturday on a religious pilgrimage fulfilling an election promise.

The visit to China demonstrates Ghani Ahmadzai's intention of utilizing Afghanistan's natural resources as a trade-off for infrastructure and industry, to reverse the rapid decline in economic growth since the United States and its allies began withdrawing troops two years ago. Economic growth is seen falling to 1.5 percent this year, the World Bank said; 2013 growth was 3.7 percent, down from 9.4 percent the year before.

Original post:
Afghanistan's new president to visit China this week, signaling importance of ties