President Jiang Zemin yesterday reaffirmed the nation's commitment to African countries, pledging "long-term, friendly, equal and mutually-beneficial co-operation."
At a meeting with visiting Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Jiang said that developing friendly co-operation with African countries has all along been an important part of China's relations with other countries.
Relations between China and African countries were boosted last year when the two sides held the first ever ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation in October in Beijing.
As well as closer economic co-operation, the Chinese side announced it would further reduce and cancel the debts of some of the most underdeveloped countries in Africa.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Jiang noted that in recent years, the quest for peace and development has been the main priority for the African continent and that its countries have endeavoured to rely on themselves to resolve African issues.
China is confident that Africa will achieve prosperity as long as stability is maintained in the continent, and African countries develop in ways to suit their national conditions, work closely with each other and get concrete international help, Jiang said.
Jiang also pledged that ties with Djibouti, a nation which lies along the Red Sea, would be strengthened as the two nations enter the 22nd year of their diplomatic relations.
Guelleh hoped for expanded co-operation with China in all fields. He welcomed Chinese enterprises taking part in mining and economic development in his country, according to the spokesman.
He reiterated that his country will continue to adhere to the one-China policy and said it will support China concerning human rights issues.
(China Daily 03/22/2001)
