Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks in Beijing on Friday with his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, to exchange views on advancing bilateral ties and other issues of common concern.

Chinese President Hu Jintao shakes hands with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.

Hu congratulated Afghanistan on its success in becoming an observer of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Calling Karzai an old friend of the Chinese people, Hu voiced appreciation for his long-term commitment to bilateral friendly cooperation and his contribution to the development of bilateral ties.

Currently, Afghanistan is entering a pivotal period of transition, he said.

As a reliable neighbor to Afghanistan, China will unswervingly stick to friendly policies and continue to provide sincere and selfless help to the country, said Hu.

Karzai thanked the Chinese president for his warm hospitality as well as his steadfast support for Afghanistan's becoming an SCO observer.

"Without your support, we can not do this," he said.

The Afghan president said bilateral relations have developed positively in the past decade, and are continuing to deepen.

Karzai is in Beijing for a visit to China. He attended the SCO Beijing Summit held on Wednesday and Thursday. At the summit, Afghanistan became an observer of the SCO.