The 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is now being held in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The forum, which is a follow-up event of the FOCAC Beijing Summit in 2006, deserves more attention under the ongoing recession that has been rippling through the world economy.

Both China and the African continent have to cope with the repercussions of the financial crisis since it broke out in the United States last fall. Now the world economy is still fragile though it may be starting to bottom out, if the latest statistics from the largest economies are credible.

During a U-shaped recovery rather than a V-shaped one, FOCAC provides a good opportunity for the two sides to thrash out the prospect of the world economy and come up with new strategies for cooperation in the hard times.

Africa, which is a provider of raw materials for international market, has been hit hard by the global downturn. The prices of African exports slumped as the demand of industries turned sour, and foreign direct investment, a key drive for some successful African economies, has dried up as cautious investors hoarded cash.

According to the World Bank, the average growth rate of sub- Saharan African countries is projected to be 1.5 percent in 2009, compared with 5.5 percent in the previous year.

Needless to say, China also suffered from the crisis. Its economy grew 7.7 percent in the first three quarters this year, compared with more than 8 percent in the previous years, and the most populous country has to provide jobs for those shed by exporters.

However, China has kept its promise and implemented all the cooperation plans made in the Beijing Summit. Eight measures announced by Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2006 to enhance substantial cooperation with the continent have been carried out in the past three years, thanks to the efforts from both sides.

As a responsible country, China's investment and aid plans for the continent were not interrupted by the financial crisis and it unfolded on Sunday fresh promises for Africa.

China announced at the opening ceremony of the meeting that the Chinese government will take eight new measures to strengthen China-Africa cooperation. The eight new measures, succeeding the eight measures in 2006, are aimed at pushing forward China-Africa cooperation in the next three years.

"Whatever change may take place in the world ... our policy of supporting Africa's economic and social development will not change," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said at the conference.

China's no-strings aids and development plans have been widely lauded in the continent.

"China has shown that it is a true friend of Zambia because at the height of the economic recession when some investors reduced operations and others pulled out, Chinese companies continued operating normally," said Zambian President Rupiah Banda in a recent interview with Xinhua.

China and Africa have established enduring relations since 1956 when the first African country recognized People's Republic of China. The bilateral cooperation, which is based on equality, mutual support, mutual benefit and development, is far beyond short-term consideration.

In recent years, some Western people, who contribute little to the development of the continent that houses the most developing countries, accused China of making unequal initiatives and exploiting Africa. The accusation holds little water if they review the implementation and the results of the forum's measures.

Chinese and African people are good friends that enjoy both brotherhood and partnership, and the FOCAC has turned out to be a tried-and-true mechanism since it was launched in 2000.

With new impulse, new measures and new targets, the 4th FOCAC ministerial meeting is destined to herald a new era of China- Africa cooperation, despite the prolonged hard times.