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African Delegates Hail Jiang's Proposals on Sino-African Ties
African delegates to the just-concluded China-Africa Cooperation Forum responded positively to Chinese President Jiang Zemin's four proposals on advancing Sino-African relations.
Jiang's proposals, spelt out in his speech at the forum's opening ceremony Tuesday, are generally thought of great significance to push forward Sino-African friendly relations and the establishment of a new international political and economic order. There is broad consensus among African ministers and officials attending the forum in Beijing.
Erastus Mwencho, secretary-general of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, said China has provided long-term aids to African countries in their fights for liberation, and the two sides still have great potentials in all fields. Sino-African cooperation could be conducted in or out of the African continent, for China could help African countries in the fields of finance and market by using its international influence.
Prega Ramsamy, interim executive secretary of Southern African Development Community, stressed that developing countries should improve their competitiveness through close cooperation in the wave of economic globalization.
Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Bonaya Godana, said the accelerating economic globalization is bringing both opportunity and challenge to developing countries. It is dangerous that Africa has not joined the team in enjoying the advantages brought by "digital revolutions", while science and technology is developing rapidly worldwide.
He called for more South-North dialogues, adding that the widening gap between the two sides will destabilize international political and economic system and the North could not realize sustainable development without the development of the South.
Expressing strong opposition to a unipolar world, Madagascar's Foreign Minister Lila Ratsifandrihamanana called on the African countries to make joint efforts with China in pushing ahead the establishment of a new international political and economic order. The South countries should take more active part in the world trade system, she added.
Cameroon Foreign Minister Augustin Kouomeni said African countries used to fight together for freedom and independence, and they should consolidate unity in the future in the fight against poverty, illness, war and social injustice.
Facing the changes and reforms taking place in the world, the developing countries should further develop bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation to safeguard their rights, he said.
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