Zhang Xiangchen (L Front), Deputy International Trade Representative from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce exchanges signed Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) documents on Cooperation for Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) with Erastus Mwencha (R Front ), Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, June 16, 2016. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
ADDIS ABABA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China has pledged continued support for the operationlization of the first pan-African health agency-- the African Center for Disease Control (CDC).
At a recent meeting with African Union officials at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Chinese officials reaffirmed the commitment to further assistance to help realize the early operationalization of the Africa CDC.
During the meeting, the African Union and China expressed their commitment to the implementation of the outcomes under the Johannesburg summit of the Forum China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and to taking the relation between the two sides to a higher level.
Zhang Xiangchen, deputy international trade representative with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, met and held talks with Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission at the Headquarters of the pan-African bloc in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
After discussion, AU and China have signed agreement of three documents for cooperation including on Africa Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC).
During the FOCAC summit held last December in Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced 10 major areas of cooperation with Africa including cooperation on the health sector.
At the opening of their discussion, Mwencha noted that Africa and China have been strengthening their cooperation on trade, investment, and technical cooperation, also under FOCAC and other platforms, which has brought mutual benefits to the peoples of Africa and China.
Beatrice Yordoldo (front L), the last confirmed Ebola patient discharged in Liberia, receives a certificate from Col. Yang Haiwei (front R), China's EbolaTreatment Unit (ETU) Commanding Officer, during a brief ceremony in Monrovia, capital of Liberia, on March 5, 2015. Liberia discharged the last confirmed Ebola patient on Thursday from a Chinese-run ETU. (Xinhua/Li Bin)
Stating that AU always attaches great importance to the cooperation with China, the Deputy Chairperson said the latest agreement signed would help bring the level of cooperation between the two sides to a higher level.
"The fact that six months down the road we are now signing an agreement to continue with the implementation shows the commitment in both sides to realize the benefit out of this," he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Zhang noted that the main purpose of his visit to the AU was to discuss ways of implementing the outcomes of the FOCAC summit in Johannesburg and further enhancing the cooperation with Africa on infrastructure, public health and other important areas.
"Infrastructure cooperation and public health cooperation are the two priority areas for the cooperation between AU and China. After fruitful discussion, we reached a broad consensus on strengthening cooperation in the two areas. These three documents demonstrate our willingness to continue our cooperation in the two main areas," noted Zhang.
The MoU on Africa CDC aims to encourage the promise of Chinese government made by President Xi at the Johannesburg FOCAC Summit to help Africa improve its public health.
On the basis of the MoU, China will support AU's efforts to the establishment of the Africa CDC and will provide assistance in infrastructure construction and operation of the Africa CDC.
China has already provided financial support amounting to 2 million U.S. dollars for the Africa CDC, which will be the first regional organ in the field of public health on the African continent.
