Chinese president urges Asia-Africa strategic partnership

Chinese President Hu Jintao said here Friday that the Asian-African countries should vigorously carry forward the Bandung Spirit, seize the historic opportunity and strengthen solidarity and cooperation so as to bring about a new type of Asian-African strategic partnership.

Hu made the call when delivering a speech at the Asian-African Summit that opened at Jakarta Convention Center on Friday. The two-day meeting, attended by leaders and representatives from more than 100 countries and international organizations, is the first summit between leaders of the Asian-African continents since the 1955 Asian-African Conference, held in Bandung, Indonesia.

The theme of the Summit, "Reinvigorating the Bandung Spirit: Working Towards a New Asian-African Strategic Partnership," shall mark the dawn of a new era of cooperation among countries of the two continents toward a peaceful and prosperous future.

The summit was co-hosted by Indonesia and South Africa. At the opening ceremony, all the participants first stood in silence for a minute, mourning for the horrific devastation of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, South African President Thabo Mbeki and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan delivered their opening speeches at the summit.

Chinese President Hu Jintao also delivered a speech entitled "From the Glorious Past to a Bright Future: Building a New Type of Strategic Partnership Between Asia and Africa."

CARRYING FORWARD BANDUNG SPIRIT, SEIZING HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY

In his speech, Hu said, "The Bandung Conference 50 years ago was a monumental landmark in the national liberation movements that swept across Asia and Africa, and a pioneering undertaking in the history of international relations."

Through their unremitting efforts over the past 50 years, many countries in Asia and Africa have achieved remarkable social and economic development and conducted fruitful regional cooperation, he added.

"With dialogue and coordination gaining greater prominence in their relations, the international standing and roles of Asian and African countries in world affairs have been noticeably enhanced," he said.

In today's world, Hu said, peace, development and cooperation have become the trend of the times. The developing countries are faced with a host of difficulties and problems in their efforts to achieve economic and social development.

"Our common mission and common responsibility require that we vigorously carry forward the Bandung Spirit, seize the historic opportunity and strengthen solidarity and cooperation so as to bring about a new type of Asian-African strategic partnership," he noted.

CONSTRUCTING NEW TYPE OF ASIAN-AFRICAN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

The Chinese president said that constructing a long-term, stable and substantive new type of Asian-African strategic partnership that is responsive to the changing times is an important issue that commands collective attention.

The new partnership will focus on three main areas of cooperation: political solidarity, economic cooperation and social-cultural relations.

On the political front, he said, the Asian and African countries should become partners that respect and support each other.

On the economic front, the Asian and African countries should become partners that complement each other with respective strength for win-win results, the Chinese president noted.

"We should strengthen capacity-building in response to economic globalization, conduct dialogue on development strategies and learn from each other for common progress," he added.

On the cultural front, Hu said, the Asian and African countries should become partners that learn from each other and draw on respective strong points, and meanwhile they should become partners that treat each other equally with mutual trust, and engage in dialogue and coordination on the security front.

CHINA COMMITS ITSELF TO ACHIEVING COMMON DEVELOPMENT WITH OTHERASIAN-AFRICAN COUNTRIES

Hu reaffirmed that China will follow steadfastly its chosen path of peaceful development and commit itself to achieving common development with other countries in Asia and Africa.

Development is the most pressing task for the Asian and African nations, the Chinese president said.

The development of Asia and Africa is closely linked with that of the other parts of the world, he said, adding the two continents make up half of the world's land mass and three quarters of the world's population.

"There can be no global development to speak of without the development of the developing countries in Asia and Africa," Hu noted.

China will always be a member of the developing world, and strengthening solidarity and cooperation with the other developing countries is the cornerstone of China's diplomacy, he said.

"In the pursuit of world peace and common development, China will always stand by and work through thick and thin with the developing countries in their large members," he said, noting maintaining world peace and promoting common development is the common and long-term task facing all countries.

"We must actively promote and improve the North-South relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, facilitating North-South dialogue and cooperation," Hu said.

"To strengthen Asia-Africa solidarity and cooperation, maintain peace and stability and promote development and rejuvenation is a historic and glorious mission entrusted to us by our times," he added.

The Chinese president arrived here Thursday to attend the Asian-African Summit and the Golden Jubilee Commemoration of the Asian-African Conference 1955 in Bandung. He will also pay a state visit to Indonesia.

Source: Xinhua