China and Africa stand on a firm foundation of trust and
confidence as the two sides have witnessed accelerated cooperation
in recent years, said Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin on
Friday.
While addressing the opening ceremony of the third ministerial
meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Seyoum
said China has given Africa a lot of support in the fight against
colonialism and for independence and scrupulously observed
principles of international law governing inter-state
relations.
Seyoum said that is the reason "why this forum has made such a
progress and why on the African side there are full commitments to
making the process a resounding success." Ethiopia is the FOCAC's
co-chair country.
FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation
jointly established by China and Africa in 2000 to cope with new
challenges and facilitate common development. The second
ministerial conference was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in
2003.
After the ministerial meeting, a summit of the FOCAC, which
attracts 48 African countries that have diplomatic relations with
China, will open on Saturday with the theme of "friendship, peace,
cooperation and development."
The forum's elevation to a summit level "is a demonstration of
the commitment of both sides to the further expansion of the
cooperation between Africa and China...It is an affirmation of the
conviction on the part of both that the consolidation of the
process is in the interest of both China and Africa," said
Seyoum.
Since the ministerial forum was launched six years ago, China
and Africa have carried out cooperation in areas including trade,
investment and human resources, said Seyoum. "It has also created
close coordination between the two sides on international issues,"
he added.
"The last three years have witnessed an accelerated growth in
the volume of trade between Africa and China. The potential in this
area is enormous," said the president.
Trade volume between Africa and China rocketed to US$39.7
billion in 2005 after breaking the mark of US$10 billion in
2000.
China has forgiven debts of 10.9 billion yuan (US$1. 38 billion)
by 31 heavily indebted poor countries and least developed countries
in Africa and extended zero-tariff treatment to some imports from
Africa.
Seyoum also encouraged more "people-to-people" relations between
Africa and China, saying "there is no better way ensuring the
sustainability of a partnership than ensuring that it is rooted in
people-to-people relations."
(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2006)
