Vice Foreign Minister On Significance of China-Africa Cooperation ForumThe "China-Africa Cooperation Forum - Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000", due to open in Beijing tomorrow morning, is not only a forum for China and African countries, but also a venue for all developing countries in the world, said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ji Peiding Monday.It will fully reflect the common aspirations of all the developing countries, Ji said at the first press conference for the three-day forum. During the forum, Ji said, China and African countries will discuss how to cooperate to establish a new international political and economic order and how to expand their cooperation in various fields, thus pushing the Sino-African relations to a new stage. The forum has unique features, Ji said, adding that it will focus on the political and economic issues of common concern. It will also endorse two important documents -- the Beijing Declaration and the Sino-African Cooperation Guidelines for Economic and Social Development. As developing countries, China and African countries are just like brothers and will hold discussions on an equal footing, said Ji, adding that while preparing the forum and drafting the documents, China has conducted extensive consultation with African countries and solicited their opinions. Ji also expressed the hope that the forum will promote the North-South dialogue and exert a positive influence on world peace and development. |
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