Visiting President Hu Jintao on Thursday said that solidarity
and cooperation with African countries always serve as a major
foundation stone for China's diplomatic work.
Speaking at a banquet given by Liberian President Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf in his honor, Hu said that the Chinese government,
in line with the actual need of African countries and its own
capacity, announced a series of measures to enhance practical
cooperation with Africa and support the development of African
countries at the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation (FOCAC) held last November.
"The purpose is to support African countries in their economic
and social development, help African countries build the ability to
develop on their own and push forward the Sino-African
cooperation," the Chinese president said.
He said that China will place as a top priority the
implementation of these measures within the FOCAC framework and
inline with the principles of mutual benefit, friendly
consultation, pragmatism and high efficiency.
The eight commitments made by China include writing off debts
owed by some African countries that have diplomatic ties with
China, building in Africa 30 hospitals in addition to 30 centers
for malaria prevention and treatment, and providing 300 million RMB
(about US$38.5 million) in grants to provide artemisinin over the
coming three years.
China would start with debt write-off, tariff exemption,
construction of a number of schools in rural areas of Africa,
establishment of agriculture technology centers as well as centers
for malaria prevention and treatment, Hu said.
"We hope the African people would benefit from the measures as
soon as possible," Hu said.
He said that the implementation of the measures will certainly
play a positive role in developing a new type of the Sino-African
strategic partnership and achieving the goal of common
development.
Earlier in the day, Hu held talks with Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on
consolidating friendship and cooperation between China and
Liberia.
He also attended the inauguration of a malaria prevention and
treatment center and visited Chinese soldiers and officers serving
in the UN peacekeeping force there.
Hu arrived in Monrovia on Thursday morning from Cameroon for a
one-day state visit to Liberia, the second leg of his eight-nation
Africa tour which will also take him to Sudan, Zambia, Namibia,
South Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles.
In a written statement upon his arrival at the airport, Hu said
that "I am here to deepen the traditional friendship, enhance
mutual understanding and trust and expand mutually beneficial and
pragmatic cooperation to further develop China's relations with
Liberia."
(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2007)
