Wu Guanzheng, member of the Standing Committee of the Political
Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, who
is on a friendly visit to Rwanda, met in Kigali Tuesday night with
Rwandese President Paul Kagame.
Wu, also Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline
Inspection of the CPC, conveyed President Hu Jintao's cordial
greetings and best wishes to President Kagame.
He said bilateral relations have been developing smoothly since
the two countries established diplomatic ties 35 years ago. The two
sides are politically true-hearted and friendly and treat each
other on an equal basis, and have carried out productive
cooperation in such fields as economic and trade, culture,
education and health care.
Both sides have also supported each other and actively
cooperated in international affairs, he said, adding that the
Chinese side is willing to make the 35th anniversary of the
diplomatic ties a new starting point to push forward bilateral
friendly cooperation.
He expressed appreciation for the achievements by the Rwandese
government and people in protecting national stability, promoting
national pacification and eliminating poverty, and thanked the
Rwandese government for its unswerving one-China policy and support
for China's reunification.
Speaking of Sino-African relations, Wu said China and Africa
have always supported each other and jointly created the grand
history of South-South cooperation over the past half century.
Noting that it is the basic standpoint of China's foreign
affairs policy to reinforce relations and cooperation with African
countries, Wu said China is willing to work together with African
countries to carry forward traditional friendship, increase mutual
trust, deepen mutually-beneficial cooperation, so as to push
forward a new strategic Sino-African partnership.
Kagame spoke highly of the Rwandese-Chinese relationship of
friendly cooperation, saying that the Rwandese-Chinese friendship
is firmly based on the friendly relations between the two parties,
two governments and two peoples, as well as between China and
Africa as a whole.
Over the past years, the frequent high-level exchanges between
the two countries have effectively pushed forward the development
of bilateral relations, said the president.
He said the two countries have also had long-lasting friendly
cooperation in economic and social fields, especially agriculture,
education, medical treatment and health care, and infrastructure
construction.
The Rwandese party, government and people will not forget the
sincere support and help from the Chinese party, government and
people, Kagame added.
He said he is looking forward to participating in the up-coming
Beijing Summit of the Sino-African Cooperation Forum, and hopes to
further reinforce mutually-beneficial cooperation with China in
political, economic and trade and social fields.
After the meeting, Wu and Kagame witnessed the signing of
economic and technological cooperation agreements between the two
governments.
Earlier in the afternoon, Wu visited the Kigali Genocide
Memorial Center.
(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2006)
