They believe the meeting, which starts today and concludes tomorrow in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, will provide them and China various opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration.

"The forum will give us opportunities to know more about the world and encourage our business people to look for more markets," said Daniel Hagan, director in charge of policy, price, monetary and exports in the Ghanaian Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Ethiopia, one of the world's least developed countries, has given its support for the forum by offering to host the meeting, which is to have the participation of some 70 ministers from more than 40 countries. "The confidence is that this forum will give an additional value and create constructive engagement between the private sectors, business enterprises of China and African countries," said Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin.

Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island country, considers the forum another step by China to help Africa out of its very poverty-stricken state.

"The China-Africa Co-operation Forum is another framework where we can look at the larger picture for Africa and we will certainly look at the ways where we can get this forum to become a shining example of what China can do for Africa," said Mauritian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, who is slated to lead the Mauritian delegation to the meeting.

Africa, he said, is faced with a series of challenges, such as poverty, HIV/AIDS and lack of infrastructure. "These are what we believe China will be able to assist us with," the minister said, expecting China to come to the meeting with projects, technical assistance and ideas to help the continent change the way it has been doing things.

Gayan bases his trust in China on the long-lasting friendship between Africa and China. "We have found that whenever we asked China for any assistance, China was always prepared to listen and to do whatever it could do," he said.

Du Qiwen, director of the Department of African Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, attributed African countries' support for the meeting mainly to the follow-up work by both sides after the first ministerial meeting of the forum in Beijing in October 2000. That event further increased confidence in growing trade and economic co-operation between the two sides.

The China-Africa Co-operation Forum was established three years ago with the framework of collective dialogue between China and African countries to promote peace and development on the basis of equality. Since the 2000 meeting, China and Africa have worked toward implementing the forum's follow-up action.

China established a follow-up action committee consisting of 21 government departments in December 2000, while Ethiopia, Gabon, the Sudan and Zambia have also set up their follow-up action organizations.

The efforts by both China and African countries have been bearing fruit, with exchanges and co-operation between the two sides increasing rapidly.

The latest official statistics indicate that trade between China and Africa had grown to US$12.39 billion in 2002 from US$10.6 billion in 2000, and the figure for the first nine months of 2003 is US$13.39 billion.

Chinese investors have established 602 businesses in 49 African countries. Africans, including those from South Africa and Uganda, have also had their investment in China.

The main task of the second ministerial meeting is to review the implementation of the two documents passed during the first ministerial meeting, and discuss co-operation in such key areas as agriculture and human resources, and the prospects for development and exchanges in the future.

A plan on the specific steps for co-operation over the next three years will likely be passed during the meeting.

2003-12-15 07:51:50

They believe the meeting, which starts today and concludes tomorrow in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, will provide them and China various opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration.

"The forum will give us opportunities to know more about the world and encourage our business people to look for more markets," said Daniel Hagan, director in charge of policy, price, monetary and exports in the Ghanaian Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Ethiopia, one of the world's least developed countries, has given its support for the forum by offering to host the meeting, which is to have the participation of some 70 ministers from more than 40 countries. "The confidence is that this forum will give an additional value and create constructive engagement between the private sectors, business enterprises of China and African countries," said Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin.

Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island country, considers the forum another step by China to help Africa out of its very poverty-stricken state.

"The China-Africa Co-operation Forum is another framework where we can look at the larger picture for Africa and we will certainly look at the ways where we can get this forum to become a shining example of what China can do for Africa," said Mauritian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, who is slated to lead the Mauritian delegation to the meeting.

Africa, he said, is faced with a series of challenges, such as poverty, HIV/AIDS and lack of infrastructure. "These are what we believe China will be able to assist us with," the minister said, expecting China to come to the meeting with projects, technical assistance and ideas to help the continent change the way it has been doing things.

Gayan bases his trust in China on the long-lasting friendship between Africa and China. "We have found that whenever we asked China for any assistance, China was always prepared to listen and to do whatever it could do," he said.

Du Qiwen, director of the Department of African Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, attributed African countries' support for the meeting mainly to the follow-up work by both sides after the first ministerial meeting of the forum in Beijing in October 2000. That event further increased confidence in growing trade and economic co-operation between the two sides.

The China-Africa Co-operation Forum was established three years ago with the framework of collective dialogue between China and African countries to promote peace and development on the basis of equality. Since the 2000 meeting, China and Africa have worked toward implementing the forum's follow-up action.

China established a follow-up action committee consisting of 21 government departments in December 2000, while Ethiopia, Gabon, the Sudan and Zambia have also set up their follow-up action organizations.

The efforts by both China and African countries have been bearing fruit, with exchanges and co-operation between the two sides increasing rapidly.

The latest official statistics indicate that trade between China and Africa had grown to US$12.39 billion in 2002 from US$10.6 billion in 2000, and the figure for the first nine months of 2003 is US$13.39 billion.

Chinese investors have established 602 businesses in 49 African countries. Africans, including those from South Africa and Uganda, have also had their investment in China.

The main task of the second ministerial meeting is to review the implementation of the two documents passed during the first ministerial meeting, and discuss co-operation in such key areas as agriculture and human resources, and the prospects for development and exchanges in the future.

A plan on the specific steps for co-operation over the next three years will likely be passed during the meeting.

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