President Hu Jintao held separate meetings with five more African counterparts in Beijing Friday afternoon to exchange ideas on bilateral ties and China's cooperation with the continent.

 

Hu extended a warm welcome to the five African leaders who are here to attend the two-day Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) opening here Saturday, including Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Marc Ravalomanana of Madagascar, Paul Biya of Cameroon, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.

 

The FOCAC establishment is the inevitable result of China-Africa friendship over the past decades, as well as a substantial move towards further cooperation and common development, said Hu.

 

At the summit slated for November 4-5, leaders from China and African countries will blueprint a new strategic partnership basedon equality, mutual trust, reciprocity and enhanced cultural exchanges, he said.

 

"The Chinese side has also put forward a series of concrete measures to help the African countries speed up development," said Hu.

 

The measures will include debt relief, exemption of tariff and personnel training to promote cooperation between China and Africa, Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo said Thursday.

 

Hu said results of the forthcoming summit will bring to a new high China-Africa cooperation in political, economic, cultural and social sectors and will inject new vitality into their traditional friendship.

 

His African counterparts hailed friendship with China and spoke highly of China's efforts to host the Beijing summit and to push forward their strategic partnership.

 

The five presidents agreed they are ready to hold in-depth discussions with China on bilateral cooperation in diverse sectors.

 

They reiterated their adherence to the one-China policy and their support for China's reunification at an early date, to which Hu expressed appreciation.

 

State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan was present at the meetings.

 

So far, 47 delegations of the 48 African countries, including 41 heads of state or government, have arrived for the summit focusing on "friendship, peace, cooperation and development."

 

Earlier Friday, Hu met presidents of Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Ghana.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2006)