China to Further Expanding Cooperation with African Countries: Official

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 26, 2002

China to Further Expanding Cooperation with African Countries: Official

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Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Wenchang said Monday in Addis Ababa that the Chinese government "follows African development closely and has attached importance to expanding and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with all African countries."

Speaking at the opening session of the Senior Official Meeting (SOM) of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, Yang said, "we are ready to work with African countries in discussing and materializing the follow-up work of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and, through our concrete actions, support the implementation of the strategy of economic and social progress of the African continent."

China will continue to encourage the rest of the international community to provide tangible assistance for African countries to achieve stability and pursue growth within the framework of the United Nations so as to contribute to the rejuvenation of the African continent and its integration with the international community, according to Yang.

The SOM, the first one to be held in the wake of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation-Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000 and also the first time for the SOM to be held on the African continent, will mainly review the implementation of the documents adopted at the Beijing Conference.

It also has an important task of making preparations for the next Ministerial Conference and will discuss issues on the cooperation between the Forum and New Partnership on Africa's Development (NEPAD).

He said since the conclusion of the Beijing Conference, the Chinese side and the African side have made joint efforts to vigorously press ahead with the implementation of the follow-up actions of the forum and achieved notable progress.

Talking about the current situation in Africa, Yang noted the African continent in recent years has witnessed many positive changes, and the situation in some regional hot spots has been moving towards relaxation and the pursuit of peace, stability and development has become the mainstream on the continent.

The official establishment of the African Union and the birth of NEPAD have created favorable conditions for African countries to eradicate poverty and seek development, said Yang, adding, "it also provided China and African countries with good opportunities to further expand and deepen our cooperation in various fields."

Delegations coming from about 45 African countries, plus China, attended the opening of the SOM.

The Chinese government, in accordance with the suggestion of some African countries, initiated the forum with the aim of strengthening consultation and cooperation between China and African countries.

In July 2001, through ministerial level consultation held in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, it was decided that Ethiopia would host the next senior official meeting and ministerial meeting of the forum in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

Yang said as the co-chair, China will join Ethiopia, the chair of the Ministerial Conference 2003, and other African countries in committing ourselves to the preparations for the meeting.

He also disclosed that the Chinese government will send to this meeting a delegation comprising relevant ministers and businessmen and arrange the attendance of a Chinese leader at the opening ceremony.

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