A mechanism formed for Sino-African cooperation

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 18, 2003

A mechanism formed for Sino-African cooperation

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Far apart though the distance between China and African continents yet the friendly exchanges boast of a long history. Along with the founding of the New China and the successive national independence in Africa the Sino-African relations have turned over a new leaf. For over half a century, generations of the Chinese leaders have set great store by strengthening the cooperation with the African countries and worked out a set of policies and measures for the development and consolidation of the friendly cooperation. Thereby, it has ensured a smooth and favorable development of the relations between China and African countries.

On entering into the late 1990s, the Sino-African friendly exchanges have seen a further development and changes have also taken place in the respective domestic situation in China and African countries. Under the circumstances it calls for an urgent consultation and broader collaboration between China and Africa. To conduct dialogues and strengthen the bilateral cooperation from country to country as did in the past can hardly meet the requirement. Time is ripe now to set up a mechanism for facilitating the collective dialogues and consultations between the two sides. So China, on hearing the suggestions and demands of the African countries, proposed a ministerial conference for Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum, which received warm responses and wide supports. The first ministerial meeting for Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum was held from Oct. 10 to 12, 2000. About 80 ministers from more than 40 African countries, representatives from some international and Africa's regional organizations, as well as entrepreneurs from Africa were present at the meeting on invitation from China. During the course, China and African countries, with an aim to widen the common view, strengthen friendship and promote cooperation, exchanged views deeply on an equal footing for increasing the mutual understanding in order to work out a way for promoting a fair and rational new order in international politics and economy and for a substantial cooperation. Two documents with historical significance, Beijing Declaration of Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum and "Program on the Economic and Social Development of China and Africa", were another fruit of this meeting. The two sides decided to establish and develop a steady and long-term new partnership on the principal of equality and mutual benefit and to put the mechanism for China-Africa Cooperation Forum in place with ministerial conference to be held every three years and a summit every two years. China and African countries host in turn the two events. Cooperation on essential fields, such as bilateral trade relations, was the focus of the First Ministerial Conference of Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum. The Program on the Economic and Social Development of China and Africa has specified the principle for the bilateral cooperation and mapped out the blueprint of the collaboration in relevant fields between the two sides. It is safe to say that the success of Sino-African Cooperation Forum - Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000 marked the birth of the mechanism of the forum and injected fresh impetus into the all-round cooperation between China and Africa.

The first ministerial conference laid down the principles for the follow-up of the forum. The two sides both pay high attention to the follow-up mechanism and have taken a series of measures to put them into place. China has set up a "Committee for Follow-ups for Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum" which is comprised of 22 ministerial units concerned with ministers of Foreign Affairs and Commerce as honorary chairmen and co-chaired by responsible leaders of the two ministries. The main task of the committee is to coordinate follow-up programs among the sectors on the Chinese side. On the other hand, some African countries also founded inter-ministerial committees for follow-up initiatives. In July, 2001, a ministerial consultation was held in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, between China and Africa, on which the second ministerial meeting was scheduled to open in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, in December 2003 and Procedure for Follow-up Mechanism of Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum was passed in principle. The Procedure officially entered into effect in April 2002. The senior officials meeting held on Nov. 25, 2002 between China and Africa in Addis Ababa reviewed the implementation of the decisions made during the first forum and conducted careful discussions on preparations for the second ministerial conference. Meanwhile, up till now China has built inter-ministerial consultation system with foreign ministries of 24 African countries and held separate meetings with trade committees of some African countries and worked out plans for bilateral economic and trade exchanges with them.

Complicated and profound changes have taken place since the end of the cold war period. The multi-polarization of the world zigzags forward. The economic globalization is clearly speeding up. But uncertainties affecting the world peace and development are increasing. Turmoil, civil wars and regional conflicts are tending toward seriousness in some parts of the African continent because of the surging-up of multi-party system democracy. Economic globalization has pushed many African countries onto the brink of danger. In view of the new international situation, China, as the world's largest developing country, and Africa, the continent with the most developing countries, both face the challenge of maintaining long-term stability, developing national economies, and improving living conditions of the people. Therefore, it is essential for the two sides to coordinate their stands in international affairs to jointly protect the legal rights and interests of the developing countries. Under this backdrop, the establishment of the mechanism for Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum carries a far-reaching historical and great realistic significance to a further cooperation between China and Africa under the new situation.

Article from People's Daily, November 17, and translated by PD Online staff member Lijia

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