By Li Xiaokun (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-21 07:17

A day before his interview with China Daily, the Afghan Foreign Minister visited Beijing's Guang'anmen Hospital for acupuncture treatment. "I suffer from asthma and constant headaches. Doctors who treated me in Germany attributed one to tension in my neck," says Rangin Dadfar Spanta. The idea of acupuncture was a little unnerving for him "because the pins (needles) are very long. but they didn't hurt and the tension in my neck was almost gone when the doctors took out the nine pins. I felt a lot better after that because my head felt lighter. I'm breathing better, too."

"I can't find traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctors in Afghanistan. I think it's time China sent some to teach Afghan doctors. TCM is soft, whereas most modern medicines have positive and negative effects both."

Spanta would like to promote Chinese literature, too. "We have a lot (of Chinese literature) in English, and German. But there are none in our two official languages of Persian and Pashto."

His interest in things Chinese grew when he was a member of the students' movement in Afghanistan. "The country, its stories, its political development, the Communist Party of China," everything about China made him curious.

"The people of China are very friendly and respectful. The pace of change in the country is unbelievable. The 21st century is the century of Asia, especially of China."

"I always wanted to visit China to see your achievements. But unfortunately I didn't get a chance till last year."

He accompanied President Hamid Karzai during his maiden visit. And his second came just one year later.

(China Daily 08/21/2007 page12)