President Hu Jintao held separate meetings with five more
African counterparts in Beijing Friday afternoon to exchange ideas
on bilateral ties and China's cooperation with the continent.
Hu extended a warm welcome to the five African leaders who are
here to attend the two-day Beijing Summit of the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) opening here Saturday, including
Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Marc Ravalomanana of Madagascar, Paul Biya of
Cameroon, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania and Olusegun Obasanjo
of Nigeria.
The FOCAC establishment is the inevitable result of China-Africa
friendship over the past decades, as well as a substantial move
towards further cooperation and common development, said Hu.
At the summit slated for November 4-5, leaders from China and
African countries will blueprint a new strategic partnership
basedon equality, mutual trust, reciprocity and enhanced cultural
exchanges, he said.
"The Chinese side has also put forward a series of concrete
measures to help the African countries speed up development," said
Hu.
The measures will include debt relief, exemption of tariff and
personnel training to promote cooperation between China and Africa,
Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo said Thursday.
Hu said results of the forthcoming summit will bring to a new
high China-Africa cooperation in political, economic, cultural and
social sectors and will inject new vitality into their traditional
friendship.
His African counterparts hailed friendship with China and spoke
highly of China's efforts to host the Beijing summit and to push
forward their strategic partnership.
The five presidents agreed they are ready to hold in-depth
discussions with China on bilateral cooperation in diverse
sectors.
They reiterated their adherence to the one-China policy and
their support for China's reunification at an early date, to which
Hu expressed appreciation.
State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan was present at the meetings.
So far, 47 delegations of the 48 African countries, including 41
heads of state or government, have arrived for the summit focusing
on "friendship, peace, cooperation and development."
Earlier Friday, Hu met presidents of Congo, Uganda, Sierra
Leone, Rwanda and Ghana.
(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2006)