China-Africa: Chinese State Councilor vows to advance Sino-African strategic partnership
BEIJING, (Xinhua) — Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo on Monday pledged to push forward a new type of strategic partnership with African countries.
Dai made the remarks at a reception held by African envoys in Beijing to mark the 46th anniversary of Africa Day.
The new type of strategic partnership, featuring political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win cooperation and cultural exchange, has been deepening since its inception at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in November 2006, Dai said.
Dai congratulated African countries for their achievements in speeding up the process of political unity and economic integration in Africa.
He spoke highly of China-Africa relations, featuring increasing political mutual trust and comprehensive development of cooperation in various fields.
“The follow-up actions of the Beijing Summit are being implemented smoothly and implementation of the eight policy measures of the Chinese government for practical cooperation with Africa has yielded significant results,” he said.
China valued the traditional friendship with African countries, and appreciated their firm support on the Taiwan issue, Tibet related issues and over the massive Sichuan earthquake, said Dai.
China is ready to work with African countries to share development opportunities and make good preparations for the fourth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC in Egypt in the fourth quarter so as to advance the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership.
Angolan Ambassador to China and Acting Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps Joao Manuel Bernardo thanked China for its long-standing sincere help to Africa.
He said China had all along respected and paid great attention to Africa. China not only supported Africa’s political unity, but also offered a vast amount of assistance to it, which contributed a lot to the economic and social development of Africa.
The China-Africa cooperative relations had become closer and yielded fruitful results. The African countries were full of confidence for the future of Sino-African cooperation, he added.
On May 25, 1963, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established, a historic event for the African people. The African Union succeeded the OAU in 2002.