African delegates shake hands during the Fifth Senior Officials' Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, capital of China, on Nov. 2, 2006. The two-day meeting closed on Thursday. Senior officials from China and 48 African countries took part in the meeting to make final preparations for the FOCAC Beijing Summit scheduled for Nov. 4-5. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    BEIJING, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials from China and 48 African countries concluded a meeting here Thursday, having made final preparations for the upcoming Beijing Summit scheduled for Nov. 4-5.

    The Senior Officials Meeting has been the fifth in the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

    Since the FOCAC establishment six years ago, cooperation between the two sides on the basis of mutual benefit has witnessed rapid development in various fields, said Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wei Jianguo at the closing ceremony of the Senior Officials Meeting.

    Chinese and African leaders will exchange in-depth views on further development of Sino-African relations at the forthcoming summit, and blueprint their future all-round cooperation in various fields, said Wei, also secretary-general of the Chinese preparatory committee for the summit.

    The meeting will surely inject new energy to the Sino-African friendship and cooperation, he said.

    Africa-China friendly cooperation has scored fast yet all-sided growth, and this year is the 50th anniversary of establishment of the first diplomatic relationship between China and African countries, said Togo ambassador to China Nolana Ta-ama.

    The Beijing Summit will become the most important event in the Africa-China relations history, further consolidating their friendly relations of cooperation and common development, he said.     

    During the two-day Senior Officials Meeting, delegates from China and African countries reviewed the preparation work for the Beijing Summit and the FOCAC Ministerial Conference, and further exchanged views on the documents to be passed at the summit.