Zimbabwean newspaper hails Sino-African relationship

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-01 08:31

HARARE - The Herald, the leading newspaper in Zimbabwe, on Tuesday carried a commentary entitled "Take Sino-Africa relations to new levels."

The commentary said that it is not surprising that most developing countries, particularly those from Africa, have in recent years turned to China for trade and investment because China's economy has been one of the fastest growing over the past few years.

The third ministerial meeting and the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation due to be held from November 3-5 is meant to "foster more cooperation between the two parties and explore further areas of cooperation," said the commentary.

"This year's China-Africa Summit therefore presents a platform on which genuine debate should take place to take the relationship to a higher level," said the commentary.

It said China is more than just a friend to most African countries, having assisted them in one way or the other in the fight against colonialism and their relationship is based on equality and mutual cooperation, as opposed to the master-servant relationship the rich countries of the West want to foist upon Africa.

It said that China has invested heavily in Africa in various projects straddling infrastructural development, power generation, telecommunications, mining, agriculture and technology transfer.

The commentary said the developed countries in the West have over the years tended to look at themselves as benefactors of Africa, but the irony of it all is that it is Africa that has developed the West through its vast natural resources which have been plundered since the colonial days.

"No wonder that these countries, fearing China's growing influence on the continent, have started spreading falsehoods that China wants to recolonize Africa and plunder its resources for its growing economy," said the commentary.