Chinese and African scholars met Friday in Ethiopia to open the 2nd China-Africa Think Tanks Forum (CATTF II) to discuss issues of common interest, especially governance, peace and security.

During the two-day event at the town of Bishoftu, about 45 km south of Addis Ababa, researchers, academicians and experts discussed ways to improve governance, peace and security, and exchanged views on China's non-interference policy, its role in regional integration and peace-building, and China's contribution to Africa's economic and social development.

The CATTF II is being held under the theme "Chinese and African Common Interests: Current Issues and Future Perspectives on Governance, Peace and Security" as a follow-up event of its previous forum, which emphasized and acknowledged the need to advance the security situation in Africa with strengthening China-Africa cooperation as the ultimate goal.

The CATTF is an initiative launched by Zhejiang Normal University (ZNU) in 2011 to create a shared platform for dialogue and exchanges between Chinese and African think tanks.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the forum, Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen said that good governance, peace and security are relevant and timely issues for Africa as well as for China-Africa cooperation.

Africa places great emphasis on governance and peace and security, he said, adding that the CATTF upheld the principles of civil participation, governmental support, frank dialogue and consensus seeking through links among Chinese and African think tanks and scholars from other parts of the world who are interested in Sino-African relations.

"This was of course pivotal to promote mutual understanding, to consolidate friendship, to present recommendations which may have a positive bearing and enhance the comprehensive cooperative relations between China and Africa," he said.

Addressing the event, Lu Shaye, director of the Department of African Affairs at China's Foreign Ministry, said that with closer coordination and collaboration, China and Africa have become important forces in safeguarding world peace and stability.

Lu noted that China firmly supports African countries in building democracy and legal systems and increases experience-sharing on governance with African countries on an equal footing.

"Some people accuse China of seeking economic benefit from Africa while caring nothing about peace and security affairs of Africa," he said, "But, in reality, China's commitment to the principle of non-interference can by no means be interpreted as China's indifference to Africa's peace and security."

"In fact, China is the biggest trade partner of Africa and the largest contributor of peacekeepers to Africa among permanent members of the UN Security Council," he said.

Recalling that the 5th ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was held two months ago in Beijing, Lu also noted that China has announced new measures to support the cause of peace and development in Africa and to boost the all-round growth of China-Africa ties in investment and finance, African integration, peace and security as well as people-to-people exchanges.

Xie Xiaoyan, Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia and representative to the African Union (AU), said China supports and actively participates in peacekeeping operations in Africa, and provides necessary support to African countries and regional organizations for their capacity building.

The ambassador said China would continue such endeavors, expressing the hope that Sino-African cooperation would generate more achievements.