Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao
addresses a welcoming rally attended by people from various sectors in Dar
es Salaam, Tanzania, Feb. 16, 2009. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Photo Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- After a three-day visit
to Saudi Arabia beginning Feb. 10, Chinese President Hu Jintao started an Africa
tour aimed at enhancing China's friendship with developing countries in the
region.
The trip, which took Hu to Mali, Senegal, Tanzania
and Mauritius from Feb. 12 to 17, has given new impetus to the traditional
friendship between China and Africa.
Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao (L)
talks with Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz during their meeting
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 10, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Photo Gallery>>>
The time-honored friendship between China and Africa
can be traced back to as early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when Chinese
navigator Zheng He traveled to the African continent during his seven epic
voyages.
In the 1960s, when most African countries launched a
wave of independence struggles, late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai had also visited
Africa to express his country's staunch support for its African brothers.
The fates of the Chinese and African peoples are
closely interrelated as they share a similar history and similar developmental
tasks, and the two sides have carried out various forms of cooperation based on
the principles of equality and mutual benefit.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) meets
with Malian President Amadou Toumany Toure in Bamako, Mali, on Feb. 12,
2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Photo Gallery>>>
"Every time I come, it's like coming back home," Hu
said while delivering a key speech in the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam on
Monday.
So far, China has provided aid to the best of its
ability to 53 African countries under the framework of "South-South
cooperation," aiming to help the countries achieve independent development and
socio-economic progress.
China-Africa relations entered a new stage of
comprehensive development at the Beijing Summit of China-Africa Cooperation
Forum in 2006, when they established a new type of strategic partnership
featuring political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win cooperation and
cultural exchanges.
Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao (L)
meets with his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade in Dakar, capital of
Senegal, Feb. 13, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Photo Gallery>>>
Hu's latest visit to Africa, his sixth in all and
second since the Beijing Summit, opens a new chapter in the China-Africa
friendship.
The tour also brings new opportunities to review the
results of the China-Africa friendly cooperation.
The Chinese president announced an eight-measure
policy designed to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with Africa at the Beijing
Summit in November 2006. Several months later, he paid a visit to Africa, during
which a series of cooperation agreements were signed with an aim to implement
the policy.
Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao (L)
meets with his Tanzanian counterpart Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete in Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania, Feb. 15, 2009.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Now in 2009, the concluding year for implementation
of the package, the Chinese president visited Africa again to exchange views
with the leaders of African countries on the fulfillment of the commitments made
at the Beijing Summit.
During the visit, Hu also discussed with them the
preparatory work for the fourth ministerial conference of the China-Africa
Cooperation Forum later this year in an effort to enhance the China-Africa
strategic partnership.
The swift and efficient implementation of the eight
measures has brought tangible benefits, and the measures have thus been well
received by the governments and people of Africa and the international
community.
Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao (L)
meets with Mauritian President Anerood Jugnauth in Port Louis, Mauritius,
Feb. 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Photo Gallery>>>
Chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission, Jean
Ping, said in late January that China is Africa's key cooperative partner.
The AU chief also spoken highly of China's role in
Africa's infrastructure development, saying "China has played a fundamental part
in the improvement of infrastructure facilities across African countries."
The World Bank has said China has made major
contributions to promoting the development of Africa, and expressed the hope
that African countries would combine China's developmental experiences with
their own national conditions.
Moreover, President Hu's trip this time brings new
commitments for the future development of friendly and cooperative ties between
China and Africa.
Countries around the world currently face grave
challenges amid the ongoing global financial downturn, with the impact of the
crisis spreading to emerging-market countries as well as developing nations.
Under such circumstances, Hu made a solemn pledge
during his Africa tour that China will continue to implement its commitments
made at the Beijing Summit in a timely and reliable manner, despite all the
challenges his country faces in its own economic development.
China will by no means cut assistance to Africa, said
Hu. Instead, it will do its best to continue to increase aid to the continent,
offer debt relief to African countries, and expand trade and investment with
them.
Hu's commitments were warmly applauded by the leaders
of the African countries, who pledged to join hands with China in facing the
impact of the financial crisis.
A Gabonese newspaper commented that China, which had
pledged to honor its earlier commitments and not to reduce aid to Africa despite
the economic pressure from the ongoing crisis, had indeed exercised the
responsibilities of a big country.
DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu
Jintao on Monday called on China and Africa to enhance mutual trust and
political, economic and trade ties.
China is ready to have closer high-level exchanges
with African countries and strengthen strategic dialogue through various
consultation mechanisms, Hu said in a key-note speech at a welcoming rally here
attended by people from various sectors. Full story
DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu
Jintao on Sunday said he reached new consensus with African leaders during his
ongoing visit to the continent.
"During my African visit, I had in-depth discussions
with leaders of related countries on bilateral relations and issues of common
concern, and we reached a number of new and important consensus," Hu said while
giving an interview to Tanzanian State Television and Hong Kong-based Phoenix
TV. Full story
PORT LOUIS, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu
Jintao left here for home Tuesday, wrapping up his five-nation trip.
The trip, which was described as "a journey of
friendship and cooperation" and started on Feb 10, has taken him to Saudi
Arabia, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius. Full story
