During talks with Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba in
Windhoek yesterday, President Hu Jintao proposed a range of measures allowing
bilateral relations to be strengthened. These measures include
boosting cooperation in politics, economy and international affairs
whilst increasing personnel exchanges.
Hu, having arrived from Zambia for a state visit, made a
four-point proposal on promoting bilateral ties. The four points
are as follows:
-
Enhance political exchanges and ameliorate political mutual
trust. The leaders of both countries will maintain the frequent
momentum of visits aiding in the free flow of ideas on bilateral
ties and major issues of common concern.
-
Expand economic and trade ties toward a mutually beneficial
outcome. China will foster competent domestic investment in Namibia
whilst exploring further cooperation with Namibian counterparts in
infrastructure, agriculture and other sectors. China will also
adjust its foreign trade structure to eventually find a balance in
trade with Namibia.
-
Increase personnel contacts and promote bilateral cooperation
in education, public health, culture and tourism. China has decided
to provide assistance to Namibia in building schools and hospitals
in rural areas. It will also increase government-funded
scholarships for Namibian students and train more professionals for
the Southern African country.
-
Continue to support each other in international affairs
through close cooperation and coordination. The two sides continue
to maintain close cooperation in the UN and other multilateral
organizations in order to safeguard the common interests of the
developing countries.
Namibia was the last African country to gain independence after
the fall of the Western empires in Africa. China and Namibia
established diplomatic ties on March 22, 1990, two days after
Namibia gained its independence.
In response to Hu's proposal, Pohamba thanked China for its
support during Namibia's struggle toward national independence and
subsequent economic and social development.
For his part, Pohamba said that Hu's visit to Namibia occurred
three months following the Beijing Summit of the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), demonstrating the importance China
attaches to its ties with Namibia and its efforts to fulfill its
promises made at the summit.
He agreed with Hu's suggestions and specified that Namibia hopes
to strengthen cooperation with China in trade, investment, energy,
mining, fishery, agriculture, infrastructure, communication and
telecommunication.
Pohamba reiterated Namibia's firm adherence to the one-China
policy and its support for China's efforts to achieve national
reunification.
During their meeting, the two leaders discussed the situation in
Africa.
Hu said that Africa, particularly Southern Africa, has enjoyed
relative peace and stability in recent years, going hand-in-hand
with a steadily improving economic state.
African countries and regional organizations have endeavored to
preserve the hard-earned improvements and have pressed unabated for
improved regional political and economic integration toward a
long-term stability and sustained development, he said.
Hu voiced China's support for all efforts striving for Africa's
rejuvenation.
China is willing to enhance cooperation with African countries
within the FOCAC framework in line with the traditional friendship
and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Africa, he
said.
After the talks, Hu and Pohamba witnessed the signing of five
documents on bilateral cooperation in economy and technology, human
resources training, education and tourism.
Namibia is the fifth leg of Hu's eight-nation tour of Africa that has
already taken him to Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan and Zambia. He will
leave Windhoek for South Africa today, from where he will travel on
to Mozambique and the Seychelles.
(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2007)
