An exhibition to show the achievements made during the six years
after creation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was
held in Beijing on Friday on the eve of the two-day Beijing
Summit.
The exhibition, through some 250 pictures, showed the
achievements in cooperation and exchanges between China and Africa
in fields of politics, economy, trade, education and security.
In a speech at the opening ceremony, Chinese State Councilor
Tang Jiaxuan said FOCAC, which was set up in 2000, is the natural
fruit of years of sincere friendship on the basis of equality and
mutual assistance between China and Africa.
Recalling the achievements will further strengthen bilateral
understanding, friendship and cooperation, he said, adding China
and Africa will forever be all-weather friends, good partners and
brothers.
FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation
jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new challenges
and facilitate common development.
Beijing Summit, slated for Nov. 4-5, will draw leaders and
senior officials from 48 African countries that have diplomatic
relations with China.
Since FOCAC was established six years ago, economic and trade
cooperation between China and Africa has entered a new era, with
comprehensive, rapid and stable development.
The two-way trade volume reached US$39.8 billion in 2005 and
China has exempted 10.9 billion yuan of debts of 31 heavily
indebted poor countries and least developed countries in
Africa.
Until August of this year, China had trained over 11,000
personnel for African countries.
(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2006)