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Forum to Boost Sino-African Cooperation, Says S. African FM
South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Zuma said Tuesday that the on-going China-Africa Cooperation Forum -- Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000 will form a basis and framework for further cooperation between Africa and China.
"I've got plenty of hopes," said Zuma during an exclusive Xinhua interview. "I hope, generally, it will strengthen and broaden the relations, which are obviously long-standing, between Africa and China."
She said there are wide-ranging areas where Africa and China can cooperate because both Africa and China belong to the developing world and both are facing new challenges in face of globalization -- challenges for development, for catching up with information technology, making sure there is enough food for the people, and trade links.
"Politically, we need to come closer because in multilateral fora and in international law, we do need to speak with one voice, whether in the World Trade Organization or other organizations," she said.
On trade, she stressed the necessity of diversifying trade partners besides those previous colonialist powers. China offers an opportunity in this regard, she said.
Africa and China, geographically apart from each other, still have "complementarities," she said. Efforts can be made on technology transfer, information sharing, human resources development, training and cultural exchanges, she said.
The foreign minister is quite satisfied with the overall development of Sino-South African relations since the
establishment of diplomatic ties at the beginning of 1998. "It is a good relationship, a growing relationship and it will grow stronger," as she put it.
She is looking forward to launching a joint binational commission next year so as to create a framework for cooperation between the two countries, she said. The establishment of the commission was envisaged in the Pretoria Declaration signed during Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to South Africa this year.
The ongoing forum has offered a really unique opportunity for the two sides to take stock of the bilateral relations and to take them to a higher level, Zuma said.
The minister is looking forward for a specific plan of actions on the establishment of a new international political and economic order, which is a major theme of the three-day event. There should also be follow-up mechanisms to oversee the implementation of such a plan, she noted.
The forum, which opened today, attracts four state presidents and some 80 ministerial officials from Africa.
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