China to unveil a package of major aids to Africa

BEIJING —China will announce a package of major assistance, investment, trade and other key cooperation projects with Africa during the upcoming Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), scheduled for November 4-5, said Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo.
Considering the wishes of African friends, the Chinese government has decided to offer more cooperation projects to Africa to deepen mutual benefit and cooperation and realize common development, Wei said at the Senior Officials Meeting of FOCAC, which was closed here on Thursday. China has put forward a series of measures including debt relief, exemption of tariff and personnel training to promote the cooperation between China and Africa, said Wei, also Chinese side secretary general of the summit's organizing committee.
Forty eight African countries that have diplomatic relations with China are to participate in the two-day summit focusing on " friendship, peace, cooperation and development". FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.
Since the FOCAC was established in 2000, economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa has entered a new era, with comprehensive, rapid and stable development. Trade volume rocketed to 39.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2005 after breaking the mark of 10 billion dollars in 2000. In addition, China has forgiven debts of 10.9 billion yuan (1. 38 billion U.S. dollars) by 31 heavily indebted poor countries and least developed countries in Africa and extended zero-tariff treatment to some imports from Africa.
China has helped establish nearly 900 projects in Africa and train some 14,600 personnel in various fields. The Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) has become an important platform for dialogue between China and Africa and an effective mechanism for pragmatic collaboration, President Hu Jintao. Hu made the remarks when meeting some leaders of African countries who arrived in the capital to attend the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC, which opens on Saturday.
“The Beijing Summit will be a great undertaking in the history of China-Africa relations,” Hu said. During the summit, with the theme of friendship, peace, co-operation and development, “we will look back at the development of the China-Africa friendship and devise a blueprint for future partnership,” he said. “The summit is surely a milestone in the history of China-Africa relations and will bring about broader prospects for the future development.”
Heads of state or government and high-ranking officials from 48 countries are expected to participate in the summit, the largest ever staged in the country since the founding of New China in 1949. A series of deals on co-operation between China and Liberia and Guinea-Bissau were signed yesterday following separate talks Hu held with the leaders of the two countries. Joao Bernardo Vieira, president of Guinea-Bissau, and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, president of Liberia, are in Beijing on state visits as well as to attend the upcoming summit.
According to the documents, China will increase economic and technical co-operation with Guinea-Bissau, the first country to collaborate with China on deep-sea fishing. Meanwhile, China will offer assistance to Liberia in the maintenance and expansion of a national broadcasting station and school buildings. The two sides also agreed to co-operate in mining, oil and gas exploration. During talks with Vieira, Hu said China hoped the two nations strengthen co-operation under the FOCAC framework, and enhance consultations in international affairs.
This is “in an effort to jointly safeguard the legal interests of developing countries and to make contributions to the construction of a harmonious world,” Hu said. Vieira expressed appreciation to China for providing his country with assistance. Just before talks with Johnson-Sirleaf, Hu extended birthday wishes to the president who celebrated her 68th birthday four days ago. Johnson-Sirleaf arrived in Beijing on Saturday, the first African leader to arrive for the Beijing Summit. Hu suggested the two nations maintain high-level exchanges to enhance political trust and increase co-operation in trade, infrastructure, education and health.

—The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item