Visiting President Hu Jintao on Sunday hailed the all-weather
friendship between China and Zambia, pledging to remain a good
friend, partner and brother to the southern African country.
Hu, who was on his state visit to Zambia, met with Amusaa
Mwanamwambwa, speaker of the National Assembly Of Zambia (NAZ), and
Kenneth Kaunda, former Zambian president and an old friend of
China.
In his meeting with Mwanamwambwa, Hu said that communication
between the legislative bodies of both countries constituted an
important part of China-Zambia relations.
China's National People's Congress (NPC) and the NAZ have
maintained contact and contributed to the cooperation in economy,
agriculture, education, health, culture and other areas.
"China is willing to enhance such exchanges and cooperation for
deepening the bilateral ties," Hu said.
Mwanamwambwa highlighted China's assistance and support, which
has played an important role in the construction and development in
Zambia. The NAZ also hoped to strengthen exchanges with the NPC for
advancing bilateral ties, he said.
When Hu met with Kaunda, he quoted a Chinese proverb -- "Those
who drink water will never forget the people who dig the well" --
commending Kaunda's contribution to the long-standing
friendship.
Kaunda is one of the few surviving African leaders who had met
with several generations of Chinese leaders. During his tenure,
China assisted Zambia and Tanzania to build Tazara, a railway
linking the land-locked Zambia with a port in Tanzania in the
1970s.
After reviewing the development path of Sino-African and
Sino-Zambian relations, Kaunda expressed gratitude for China's
strategic support for Zambia's national development.
He also highly spoke of the measures announced by Hu on Saturday
in the official talks with Zambian President Levy Patrick
Mwanawasa.
China initiated a package of measures to boost cooperation with
Zambia during Hu's trip, including the setup of an economic and
trade zone, the construction of a modern stadium, two rural schools
and an anti-malaria center, as well as more government-funded
scholarship for Zambian students to China.
Hu's trip to Zambia, the fourth leg of his eight-nation African
tour, will last through Monday.
He has already visited Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan and will also
tour Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles.
(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2007)
