On the eve of a China-Africa cooperation forum, senior officials in Egypt hailed the development of Egyptian-Sino relations, stressing that Egypt is keen on deepening strategic cooperative relations with China.

At a seminar on Egyptian-Sino relations jointly held last week by Xinhua and Egypt's top news organization Al-Ahram news group Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs Aly Houssam el-Hefny said his country is paying unprecedented attention to developing relations with China.

"Egypt will keep balance diplomatic relations, going west and east simultaneously, at a time when Asian countries, especially China, are witnessing fast economic development and playing a more important role in international affairs," said Hefny.

Egyptian-Sino relations have been developing at an unprecedented pace at diverse directions, said Hefny, adding strategic cooperation between the two nations has achieved major progress.

Egypt and China signed a joint communique in 1999, declaring the goal to establish Egypt-China strategic cooperative relations. In June of 2006 when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Egypt, the two nations signed an implementation outline for deepening strategic and cooperative relations, in which the two nations agreed to set up strategic dialogues between their foreign ministers.

Hefny said that Egyptian-Sino relations are expected to see a new height in 2009 since the year marked the 10th anniversary of the signing of the joint communique and the 60th anniversary of the foundation of new China, which was founded on Oct. 1 of 1949.

Also in 2009, Egypt will host the fourth ministerial meeting of the Sino-African forum, said Hefny.

China and Egypt officially declared the establishment of diplomatic ties on May 30 of 1956, which made Egypt the first Arab and African country to forge diplomatic relations with China.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said in a recent interview with Xinhua that, this year, Egypt and China, both of which have ancient civilizations, celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Abul Gheit quoted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as saying that Egypt and China are both "creators of human glory and progress and defender of mankind's cultural heritage, and we both pursue lofty values and ideals," which the top Egyptian diplomat said encapsulated China-Egypt relations.

"Over the past 50 years, China and Egypt have supported and helped each other, and forged a brotherly relationship," said the Egyptian top diplomat.

Abul Gheit's remarks was echoed by Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed Rachid, 55, who is a businessman- turned promising politician in Egypt.

Rachid told Xinhua in an interview that Egyptian-Sino relations are mature and distinguished based on mutual respect and agreement in views of many international and regional issues.

The diplomatic relations between Egypt and China "are model of diplomatic relations to other countries," said Rachid.

He noted that Egypt would like to create special trading relations with China in the coming phase, adding, the relations should be integrated not only in importing and exporting but also in investment and joint cooperation in many fields.

Rachid said that trade between Egypt and China was growing by 30 to 40 percent every year, expecting that China will become Egypt's first trading partner without any special procedures from his ministry if the growth continues for eight or nine years.

Meanwhile, Abdel Raouf el-Reedy, Chairman of the Egyptian Council of Foreign Affairs, told Xinhua that Egypt is paying more attention to the East, in particular to China.

"Egyptian-Sino relations are deeply rooted with strong and solid foundation. Friendship is very strong," said Reedy, who led an Egyptian delegation of diplomats, business persons and scholars to Beijing in mid-September to attend a forum on the 50th anniversary of China-Egypt ties.

"Both Egypt and China are committed to peace. Both are interested in economic development and in solving international disputes with peaceful means. Both are faithful members of the UN, " said Reedy, adding, "Egyptian-Sino relations are a model for all other nations."

Hefny, who was former Egyptian ambassador to China, also noted that since September, Egyptian leaders and senior officials have been flocking to China in a wave of visiting-China fever.

The wave started on Sept. 4 when Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid started a weeklong visit to China, the first one for Rachid as a minister. Following Rachid, Egyptian Transport Minister Mohamed Mansour started his four-day tour to China on Oct. 9.

After Mansour, other senior officials, including Petroleum Minister Samir Fahmi and Minister of Communications and Information Technology Tareq Kamel, are expected to visit China soon, according to Hefny.

Such a wave of visiting China will come to a climax in early November when President Mubarak is scheduled to attend the China- Africa Summit in Beijing and visit China following the summit.

Hefny said the visit, a ninth time for Mubarak, will be of special significance and be different from previous ones, adding Mubarak's visit comes against a backdrop of frequent visits by Egyptian and Chinese leaders to the other nation.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao visited Egypt in 2004 and June of 2006, respectively.

More than this, Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party and China's Communist Party have reached a consensus on future development of the relations between the two parties, said Hefny.

The fact that Egyptian leaders and senior officials are flocking to China indicated that Egypt attached great importance to the development of Egyptian-Sino relations, said the Egyptian official.

The China-Africa Cooperation Forum is due on Nov. 3-5, when Chinese and African leaders will review China-Africa friendly relations over the past 50 years, blueprint future cooperation and exchange views on major international issues.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, more than 30 African heads of state or government are going to attend the forum, the highest-level and largest-scale gathering between Chinese and African leaders since the foundation of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Source: Xinhua