China to push Africa ties in 2009

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-15 23:53

BEIJING - China will work with Africa to promote the strategic partnership of cooperation on the basis of sincere friendship, equality, reciprocity and common development, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Thursday.

Discussing Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's official visits to Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi and South Africa from January 13 to 17, Jiang said, "It has been a tradition of Chinese foreign ministers for more than ten years to make their first new year trip to African countries.

"The traditional friendship between China and Africa has developed over half a century and has become an important cornerstone of China's foreign policy," she said.

At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao listed eight major moves China would take to development relations, which covered China's assistance to Africa, preferential loans and credits, the building of a conference center for the African Union, the canceling of debts, further opening-up of China's market to Africa, the establishment of trade and economic cooperation zones in Africa, and the training of African professionals.

"All the measures are being implemented, and the two sides are enjoying closer political ties as well as deepening economic cooperation," the spokeswoman said.

This year would be the last year to implement the eight measures, which were progressing smoothly, she said.

China-Africa trade totaled US$73.3 billion in 2007, an increase of 32.2 percent over 2006. The trade volume of 2008 was expected to exceed 100 billion dollars, according to China's General Administration of Customs.