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President's African visit aims for closer co-op

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-08 16:46

NAIROBI -- Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay state visits to the African countries of Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius in mid-February, his second trip to the continent in search for closer cooperation since the 2006 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

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The top-level visit follows a four-nation African tour by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in intensified efforts to forge full partnership with Africa.

China and African countries have made great achievements in developing a new type of strategic partnership since the Beijing Summit, with more frequent high-level exchanges.

Three months after the summit, President Hu Jintao embarked an African tour of eight countries initiating the process of implementing the achievements of the summit to benefit the continent. Some senior Chinese officials also went to Africa on friendly missions in 2008.

On African side, more than 20 leaders visited China last year, attending the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics or watching the Olympic Games.

African countries have always been supportive on issues concerning China's core interests since the establishment of diplomatic ties decades ago and offered aid and support to China's quake relief efforts last year, showing the deep friendship between the two sides.

China cherishes the support from the continent and pledges to further implement the achievements of Beijing Summit by helping African countries maintain political stability and boost economic development.

China devised an eight-measure policy to enhance economic and trade cooperation with Africa in 2006 Beijing Summit, including assistance, preferential finance, construction of a conference center for the African Union, debt cancellation, more African market share in China, professional training, and establishment of trade and economic cooperation zones in Africa.

The policy has been effectively carried out with remarkable achievements in the past two years.

By the end of 2008, the China-Africa Fund had invested nearly 400 million US dollars in 20 projects, generating an investment in Africa by Chinese enterprises to about 2 billion dollars.

Bilateral trade hit 106.8 billion dollars in 2008, after exceeding 10 billion dollars in 2000.

The made-in-China brand finds its way into African families, while market share for a variety of African commodities in China has also snowballed.

China has also cancelled part of debts for the most indebted and least developed countries in Africa, at the same time, lifting tariffs on imports from those countries.

In addition, the construction of economic and trade zones or duty free trade zones in Africa is progressing smoothly, including the Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, the Guangdong Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Nigeria and the Lekky Duty Free Trade Zone in Lagos, Nigeria, the Egypt-Suez Economic and Trade Zone and Ethiopian Orient Industrial Park.

Cultural exchanges have also been active and fruitful between the two sides.

African song and dance have gained their audience in China and China's Confucius Institute has also taken root in Africa since its first landing in the University of Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2005.

Cooperation and exchanges between China and Africa have enhanced friendship and understanding between the two peoples.

Malian President Amadou Toumany Toure, whose country is the first in sub-Saharan Africa to establish diplomatic ties with China, applauded the Chinese President's upcoming visit, hoping it will bring bilateral cooperation to a new height.

Mali will warmly welcome President Hu, Toure said, adding that he will invite Hu to attend the inauguration of a China-aid bridge project in the country's capital Bamako.

Senegal is also looking forward to Hu's visit. Abdoulaye Balde, spokesman for the presidential office, said his country was bracing itself for the first visit by a Chinese head of state since the two countries resumed diplomatic ties three years ago.

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade visited China twice in 2006 in a bid to boost bilateral ties, Balde said, expressing his belief that the top-level exchange would give impetus to the development of strategic partnership between the two countries.

Officials in Tanzania and Mauritius also welcome Hu's upcoming visits, hoping to further enhance cooperation with China, which they see as a rising power that will benefit Africa as well as other developing nations.