Chinese President Hu Jintao rolled out red carpet on Friday
morning at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing, to
welcome five presidents of African countries, who were here for a
two-day China-Africa summit.
Hu met, on separate occasions, with five African presidents,
including Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, Yoweri
Museveni of Uganda, Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone, Paul
Kagame of Rwanda and John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana.
Hu extolled the upcoming Beijing Summit of the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), saying it is a great undertaking
in the history of China-Africa relations.
At the two-day summit slated for Nov. 4-5, leaders of China and
African countries will review the development of China-Africa
relationship and blueprint the future cooperation, Hu said.
The Chinese president said the summit will have a significant
impact on enhancing mutual understanding and trust between China
and African leaders, deepening traditional friendship, bolstering
pragmatic cooperation and promoting South-South cooperation.
He also expressed China's appreciation to the five countries for
their adherence to the one-China policy and "precious support" to
China in international affairs.
Presidents of the five countries said China, which has been
offering consistent and firm political and economic support to
Africa, was seen as a favorable partner by African people.
The presidents agreed the Beijing Summit, with its significant
impact on China-Africa relations, were warmly supported by the
governments and people of their countries, saying they hope African
countries and China make full use of the summit and draw up future
cooperative plans to achieve common development.
While meeting Sassou-Nguesso, Hu said the friendly cooperation
between China and the Republic of Congo has been going on smoothly
since the two countries established strategic partnership more than
a year ago.
"We've been exploring new ways to serve our mutual best interest
and to create a win-win situation," he said.
Sassou-Nguesso, who was elected African Union (AU) chairman for
the 2006 session at the sixth AU summit in the Sudanese capital
Khartoum in January, spoke positively of his country's relations
with China, saying the two sides are putting into practice their
consensus for cooperation.
During a meeting with Museveni, Hu said bilateral ties will be
consolidated through strengthening friendly exchanges and exploring
cooperation potential, noting the two countries share mutual trust
and close cooperation, vowing China is willing to push forward
mutual friendship to a new level.
Museveni said China had granted important support when Uganda
strove for national independence, and offered assistance in
Uganda's economic development. He said Uganda hopes to expand
cooperation with China in fields of railway, energy, processing of
agricultural produce and tourism.
When meeting with Kabbah, Hu said the relations between the two
countries have developed smoothly on the basis of equality, mutual
respect and trust.
Kabbah said Sierra Leone is under economic reconstruction and
willing to see cooperation with China in trade, investment,
infrastructure building and health.
In his meeting with Kagame, Hu said he believed the friendly
cooperative relations between China and Rwanda would advance in a
healthy and rapid manner.
Kagame recognized the effective cooperation between Rwanda and
China in agriculture, fishery, sanitation and the construction of
public utilities. Bilateral coordination in international affairs
was favorable, he said.
When meeting with Kufuor, Hu said China wishes to enhance
cooperation with Ghana in areas of infrastructure construction,
telecommunications and human resources.
The high quality of the road and other projects that the Chinese
side helped construct in Ghana has received applause from the
Ghanaian people, who wish to enhance cooperation with China in
trade, investment, power development, information networks and road
construction, so as to fulfill win-win and mutual benefit, said
Kufuor.
Forty eight African countries that have diplomatic relations
with China are to participate in the two-day summit focusing on
"friendship, peace, cooperation and development." Since FOCAC was
established in 2000, economic and trade cooperation between China
and Africa has entered a new era, with comprehensive, rapid and
stable development.
(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2006)