Dr. Abd. El. Aziz Hamdi, consultant of Sino-Egyptian allied commerce council, is excited while talking with Xinhua reporters about the just-ended Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

"In my view, this forum is a very important conference that promotes China and Africa to construct new style strategic partnership and strengthens the cooperation between China and the third world, such as Africa, and opens a new window of the Sino- African strategic partnership," Hamdi said Sunday in a phone conversation with Xinhua.

He told Xinhua that although he was busy in business those days, he still spared much time to concern on the Beijing summit through Xinhuanet and CCTV as well as his friends and relatives in Beijing.

The two-day FOCAC summit, attended by leaders of China and 48 African countries, concluded in Beijing on Sunday afternoon, which has seen substantial fruits and refreshed the half-century bilateral ties.

It adopted unanimously the FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2007-2009) and the FOCAC Beijing Summit Declaration, which called for a new type of strategic partnership aiming for strengthened mutual trust and economic cooperation.

Like Hamdi, many Egyptians here have expressed their happiness and satisfaction over the holding of the FOCAC summit, hailing the sincere and friendly relations and cooperation between China and African countries, with Egypt in particular.

China has provided much assistance to African undeveloped countries and constructed many projects, they said, expressing thanks for Chinese President Hu Jintao's offer of new policies and measures to boost the development of Sino-African strategic partnership, which include providing more loans and credits and writing off debts of all less-developed African countries.

"This shows China pays much attention to its relationship with Africa. China needs Africa while Africa needs China too," Hamdi stressed.

Dr. Hassan Abu Taleib, professor of political science in Cairo University, also telephoned Xinhua and said that the FOCAC Beijing summit is very important because it was held under the background that both Africa and China is facing new challenges and explored new arena for Sino-African cooperation.

This cooperation is of mutual benefit, he said, rebutting some Western reports of China's "new colonization policy" toward Africa.

Egypt, a leading African Union member state, locates both in the Middle East region and the north Africa. It has played a great role in the Mideast peace process and African affairs.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak attended the Beijing summit and is paying a visit to China.

Egypt's state news agency MENA Sunday covered Mubarak's attendance of the Beijing summit as well as Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit's participation in a press conference after the summit.

It quoted Mubarak's remarks as saying that the FOCAC meetings are held at a crucial juncture of the two sides relations as they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.

The President Mubarak commended the achievements of China's economic reform, MENA said.

Local major newspapers of Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar and The Egyptian Gazette also covered Mubarak's tour in Beijing and hailed China's aid to Africa.

China's new measures will promote economic and trade cooperation between the two sides and Egypt is keen to strengthen the three-side cooperation between Egypt, China and Africa, said the Egyptian media.

Dr. Hamid held that President Mubarak was invited to attend the forum, which shows that China is paying more and more attention to Egypt for its bridge role between China and Africa.

China is becoming more and more important in the world, while Egypt is also an important country in the Arab world and Africa, he added.

Source: Xinhua