Chinese FM Voices Support for African Renaissance

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan on Monday voiced support for African renaissance under the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

He told a press conference in Pretoria jointly held with his South African counterpart Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma that China also supported the establishment of the African Union (AU) which would take over the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in July, this year.

"We stand ready to explore, within the framework of the forum on China-Africa Cooperation (held in Beijing in 2000), the ways and means for our cooperation, participation in and implementation of NEPAD," Tang said.

China would continue to develop relations with African countries on the basis of genuine friendship, equality and mutual benefit, he said.

He also said that China spoke highly of the role by South Africa in facilitating the peaceful resolution of all kinds of conflict on the African continent.

"Both China and South Africa are determined to further strengthen their consultations and cooperation in this field," Tang said.

Tang said both China and South Africa expected the international community to pay more attention to developing countries and participate more actively in resolving the development issues of the developing countries.

Dlamini-Zuma expressed appreciation for China's support for the AU and NEPAD, saying her talks with Tang broadened the understanding of the issues facing the African Continent and in what areas the two countries could further cooperate.

She stressed that Africa needed China's support and cooperation to make the AU and NEPAD work.

Africa could learn from China's experiences in economic development, she said.

Earlier on Monday, the two foreign ministers co-chaired the first diplomatic sub-committee session of the Sino-South African Bi-National Commission.

Both sides discussed ways of further developing Sino-South African relations and a wide range of issues of mutual concern, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

The two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction with the smooth and rapid development of bilateral ties since the establishment of diplomatic ties in early 1998, said the statement.

They agreed on the need to tap the potentials in various fields and push bilateral relations to a new level, the statement said.

Tang arrived in South Africa on Saturday night for a four-day visit.

( January 15, 2002)