Are the Chinese entering Afghanistan?

Beijing, Aug 31: China is denying reports that it plans to deploy troops to Afghanistan.

Defense Ministry spokesman Col Wu Qian said today that reports that hundreds of People's Liberation Army soldiers are to man a base in eastern Afghanistan are "simply not true."

China shares a narrow border with Afghanistan and is wary of the country's violence and chronic instability overflowing into its restless Xinjiang region.

However, Wu said China, like other nations, was helping Afghanistan increase its defense capabilities, particularly in the area of counterterrorism.

Wu said the two have "normal military and security cooperation." Afghanistan's ambassador to China, Janan Mosazai, said Beijing is helping Afghanistan set up a mountain brigade to bolster counterterrorism operations, but that no Chinese troops would be involved in this process on Afghan soil.