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Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Wenchang arrived in Addis Abbaba, capital of Ethiopia, Saturday to attend the Senior Official Meeting (SOM) of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum.
The Forum will be held from Nov. 25 to 26.
The meeting, which is the first to be held in Africa, will evaluate the implementation of the documents adopted at the previous Forum's ministerial conference held in Beijing in the year of 2000, and also make preparations for the next ministerial conference to be held in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia in 2003.
During the meeting, participants will also discuss the issue of further cooperation between China-Africa and New Partnership for Africa's Development.
About 45 African countries, plus China, have committed to dispatch delegations to participate in the SOM.
The Chinese government, in accordance with the suggestion of some African countries, initiated the Forum in Beijing with the aim of strengthening consultation and cooperation between China and African countries.
In July 2001, through ministerial level consultation held in Lusaka, 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.
(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2002)
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