Top Chinese leader
Wu
Bangguo landed Friday to start his four-nation African tour
aimed at enhancing traditional friendship and expanding
cooperation.
Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's
Congress (NPC), will pay an official good-will visit to Kenya,
Zimbabwe, Zambia and Nigeria from October 29 to November 8.
"The new Chinese leadership attaches great importance to ties
with African countries, including Kenya," said Wu in a written
statement released at the airport.
He said good cooperation between China and Kenya in
international affairs has played an important role in safeguarding
the interests and rights of the two countries as well as developing
countries.
All the four countries that Wu toured have traditional
friendship with China, according to Xu Weizhong, an expert on
African issues with the China Institutes of Contemporary
International Relations.
China and African countries support each other in the
international arena and China adopts a "comprehensive and balanced"
policy towards Africa, said Xu in an interview with China
Daily.
During his visit, Wu will meet presidents, parliament speakers
and other top officials of the four countries to exchange views on
bilateral relations and issues of common concern.
He is scheduled to deliver a speech at the National Assembly of
Zambia. It will focus on China's political and economic situation,
the Sino-Zambian relations as well as China's policy towards
African countries.
"This address will not only focus on China's ties with Zambia,
but also on ties with the whole Africa," said a senior NPC
official.
Wu's visit is also expected to push the economic, trade and
technological cooperation between China and the four countries.
Parliamentary exchanges have become important components of
state-to-state relations. Wu's trip will increase exchanges between
NPC and parliaments of the four countries.
Wu's entourage includes senior NPC officials Redi, Liu Jibin, Su
Rong, Lu Congmin, Sun Wei, Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo and
Vice-Minister of Commerce Wei Jianguo.
(China Daily October 30, 2004)