A seminar to promote Sino-African relations got off to a positive start in Beijing yesterday.

A delegation of 43 senior African press officials, from 29 countries, met at the invitation of the State Council Information Office (SCIO).

The annual press seminar has run for three years, as part of an agreement reached during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to deepen cooperation between the two sides.

"China is the most populous developing country in the world, while Africa is the region with most developing countries," Qian Xiaoqian, deputy director of SCIO, said at the opening ceremony.

"The promotion of Sino-African press communication and cooperation will facilitate the building of a just and reasonable international communications order that reflects the voices and interests of developing countries," Qian said.

"We should take advantage of the opportunity to enhance cooperation and maintain long-term developments in regard the press. We will take what we learn here and spread it," Burundi's government spokeswoman and information minister Hafsa Mossi said.

"We are thankful to China for its support and assistance of Africa's development I believe the relationship between China and Africa will have a bright future in the years ahead," the Ethiopian Ambassador to China Hailekiros Gessesse, said.

In its half-month tour of China, the delegation will visit the Ministry of Commerce, the Beijing Olympics Organization Committee and attend a regular news briefing at the Foreign Ministry.

It is also slated to visit several press agencies, including China Daily.

(China Daily September 4, 2007)