China has established educational exchanges and cooperative relations with more than 50 African countries, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said in Beijing Wednesday.

 

Cen Jianjun, deputy director of the ministry's international cooperation office, said at a news briefing on the upcoming China-Africa Cooperation Forum that efforts put into Sino-African educational exchanges and cooperation in recent years had paid off.

 

China committed to running training programs for 1,000 African government officials, school heads and teachers over a period of three years according to the Beijing Declaration signed at the Sino-African Education Minister Forum held here last November.

 

"We have met our commitments to date," Cen said.

 

China provides about 1,200 government scholarships to African students every year. Chinese State Councilor Chen Zhili earlier promised to double the number in five years.

 

By the end of 2005, a total of 18,919 scholarships had been granted to students from 50 African countries, MOE figures show.

 

China has also set up six non-profit Confucius Institutes in six African countries to teach Chinese language and culture.

 

So far, through nearly 60 assistance programs, China has helped 25 African countries to develop neglected disciplines and train science and technological talents.

 

China has also dispatched 530 professional teachers to 35 African countries to assist them in developing higher and middle school education, according to Cen.

 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and African countries. Of the 53 African countries, 48 countries have established diplomatic ties with China.

 

The third ministerial meeting of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum will be held from November 3-5 in Beijing. The summit will focus on "friendship, peace, cooperation and development."

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)