Chinese President Hu Jintao
(R, front) is accorded a red-carpet welcome by his Sudanese
counterpart Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir (L, front) in Khartoum,
capital of Sudan, Feb. 2, 2007.
Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao began talks with his Sudanese
counterpart Omar Hassan AhmedAl-Bashir on closer cooperation
between the countries soon after his arrival?in Khartoum on
Friday.
During their talks, the two leaders are expected to discuss the
promotion of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
They will also exchange views on regional issues and other issues
of common concerns, according to a Chinese foreign ministry
official.
In the afternoon, President Hu will meet other Sudanese
officials.
The Chinese president flew into Khartoum from the Liberian
capital of Monrovia after a one-day visit.
Trade between China and Sudan has rapidly increased in recent
years.
In the first 11 months of 2006, bilateral trade amounted to
2.9billion US dollars.
Cooperation between the two countries has expanded into
construction, agriculture, medical and health work and
education.
President Hu is on the third leg of an eight-nation tour to
Africa that has taken him to Cameroon and Liberia and will also
take him to Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and
Seychelles.
Hu's African trip comes only three months after the Beijing
Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, at which Chinese
and African leaders agreed to establish and develop a new type of
strategic partnership, featuring political equality and mutual
trust, economic win-win cooperation and cultural exchange.
Earlier, the Chinese president described his African trip as "a
journey of friendship and cooperation."
He said that his current visit to the eight African countries
aims to consolidate the traditional friendship between China and
Africa, implement the agreements reached at the Beijing Summit of
the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last November, increase
cooperation and promote development.
(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2007)
