Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Tuesday made a one-day
visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) aimed at enhancing
mutual understanding and expanding cooperation.
He held talks with President Joseph Kabila who hailed China for
providing valuable support and aid to his country at a critical
time of peace and reconstruction, which demonstrated the genuine
friendship between the two countries and their people.
The DRC is located in central Africa, with an area of 2,345,410
square km. As of July 2005, it has a population of around 60
million.
Years of war dramatically reduced national output and government
revenue. Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a
large portion of the invading foreign troops. Since August last
year, government forces have been battling rebels in provinces of
North and South Kivu.
In talks with President Hu Jintao in March 2005,
visiting?Kabila called China a dependable friend of the
DRC.
China officially recognized the Congolese government shortly
after it declared independence from Belgium on June 30, 1960. In
February, 1961, China and the then Republic of Congo established
diplomatic relations. Since Nov. 19, 1972 when the two countries
issued a joint communique on bilateral relations, China and the DRC
have maintained exchanges of high-level visits.
In November 2006, along with other African countries, the DRC
signed a declaration on the establishment of a new strategic
partnership between China and Africa during Beijing Summit of Forum
on China-Africa Cooperation.
The DRC was the second leg of Yang's four-nation tour to Africa,
which includes the other three countries of South Africa, Burundi
and Ethiopia.
The visiting Yang said that "China and the DRC are good friends
and good partners. The two countries have been constantly
supporting each other on the basis of mutual understandings in
issues related with national independence, sovereignty and
territorial integrity."
Kabila reiterated his government's adherence to the one-China
policy, saying the DRC government attaches great importance to its
relations with China.
The DRC and China share common views on many issues of
significance, and the potential for bilateral cooperation is huge,
Kabila said, expressing his willingness to ensure a smooth
bilateral cooperation in fields like trade and investment.
Yang said China appreciates the DRC government's adherence to
the one-China policy, and firmly supports the DRC's efforts in
consolidating peace, promoting national reconciliation and
realizing economic development.
He said that China would further strengthen bilateral
cooperation in fields like economics and trade, and implement
related cooperation projects, in order to benefit the Congolese
people and push the bilateral relations to a new high.
Yang also held talks with his DRC counterpart Antipas Mbusa
Nyamwisi, state minister of foreign affairs and international
cooperation, during which the two sides hailed the bilateral
relations, agreed to promote mutual understanding and friendship,
and enhance political dialogue, under the framework of which the
two countries can exchanges views on bilateral, regional and
international issues.
Nyamwisi also briefed?Yang on the security situation in
eastern DRC and on the progress of the on-going conference on
peace, security and development in eastern provinces of North and
South Kivu. They also signed a preferential loan agreement worth
33.6 million U.S. dollars, to be financed by the Export-Import Bank
of China, for the construction of a national fiber optic trunk in
the DRC. The project will be undertaken by China International
Telecommunication Construction Corporation.
The two ministers consented to further implement the assistance
measures announced at Beijing Summit of Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation held in November last year, and expand cooperation in
fields like trade, infrastructure construction, culture, education,
health and human resources.
Trade between the two countries in the January-November period
last year grew by 26.8 percent over the same period of the previous
year, totaling 490 million U.S. dollars, according to statistics
from China's Ministry of Commerce.?
(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2008)
