BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- China's African Policy Paper has sketched out a blueprint for cooperation between China and Africa, Cameroon's ambassador to China Eleih-Elle Etian told Xinhua in a interview on Wednesday.

    China issued a policy document on Jan. 12, exploring the prospects for Sino-African cooperation in such fields as politics,economy and culture.

    "This document lays a solid foundation for the third ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation which will be held this autumn," Etian said.

    During the interview, Etian, who is also dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in China, preferred to use the word "friend" when referring to China.

    He expressed high hopes for the first summit of Chinese and African leaders slated for this November, saying it is of great significance for China to sit together with its African counterparts to discuss common problems and challenges.

    "The world is becoming a village in which every country faces the same problems such as terrorism, drug abuse, and the need for humanitarian aid," Etian said.

    "China and Africa have always stood together and spoken with the same voice in the world community," he noted.

    The ambassador also expressed his optimism about Sino-African cooperation, saying that the cooperation is profound and mutually beneficial and that there is still much to be done, particularly in harnessing energy and natural resources.

    As an "old friend of the Chinese people," Etian took office as Cameroon's ambassador to China in 1989. Enditem