Creating new situation in Sino-African friendship, cooperation

The People's Daily, China's leading newspaper, today hails the successful holding of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-African Cooperation (FOCAC) in an editorial entitled "jointly creating a new situation in Sino-African Friendship and Cooperation," which runs as follows:.

At the Beijing Summit and Third Ministerial Conference of FOCAC, which were held from Nov. 3rd to 5th, Chinese leaders and heads of state and government leaders or representatives of 48 African countries gathered in Beijing to talk heartily over Sino-African friendship, discuss major cooperative measures and seek for future development and wrote a new chapter of friendship together.

Since new China and African countries officially started their diplomatic ties 50 years ago, China and Africa have all along stood closely, joined ranks and tided over difficulties together. They have sympathized and supported each other either in years of struggles for national independence, freedom and liberation or in the course of safeguarding state sovereignty and building up their nations. In a new era of revitalizing their economies and attaining development, China and African countries decided to open the Beijing Summit of FOCAC, which has a historic significance of serving a link between the past and future.

With the theme of friendship, peace, cooperation and development, the Beijing Summit adopted the Declaration of the Beijing Summit of FOCAC and the FOCAC ¨C the Action Plan from 2007 to 2009, which have scored fruitful outcome in establishing a new type Sino-African strategic partnership and conducting an all-round planning for cooperation for the next three years.

The summit has deepened the traditional friendship between the Chinese and African people. Reviewing the past and looking into the future, leaders of both China and Africa unanimously hold that the friendship between the Chinese and African people, which have gone deep into their hearts, are valuable assets of both sides, and they resolve to inherit it and carry it forward.

The summit has injected new energy into Sino-African cooperation. President Hu Jintao announced at the summit eight measures to enhance China's substantial cooperation with Africa, which express the Chinese government and Chinese people's friendly sentiments for the African people and sincere hope to promote the common development of China and Africa, which won high appraisal from leaders of African countries. Both sides have made up their mind to seek the opportunity, expand cooperation and make their respective advantages complement each other, so as to benefit people of both sides.

The summit facilitates the construction of the Forum on China-African Cooperation. China and Africa agree to further step up cooperation within the framework of the forum, so that FOCAC will become an important platform for collective dialogues.

The summit brings out new ideas for South-South dialogue. China is the biggest developing nation, whereas Africa is a continent with the most concentration of developing countries. The new strategic partnership China and Africa have built and developed for their common development and rejuvenation constitutes a new attempt for South-South cooperation, which will facilitate the unity and cooperation among the developing countries.

The summit draws the world attention. Fast-developing China and constantly progressing Africa are displaying a new lease of life and vigor, which have drawn extensive attention from the international community. As Sino-African cooperation constitutes an important part of international cooperation for development, the common development of China and Africa will surely contribute greatly to world peace and development.

The summit enhances China and Africa's determination to be friends from generation to generation. Both sides hold that the deepening of traditional, Sino-Africa friendship is a common strategic choice of the Chinese and African people. In compliance with the declaration of the Beijing Summit and proceeding from the long-term, fundamental interests of their people, both sides will further increase their mutual trust, expand the basis of their friendship, so that Sino-African friendship will be oriented toward the future and the torch of friendship will pass on forever.

The summit brings out new prospects to Sino-African cooperation. Confronted with opportunities and challenges, "win-win"cooperation reaped by China and Africa on the basis of equality and mutual benefit represents the only road for common development and prosperity. Both sides will conscientiously implement various cooperative measures defined by the FOCAC ¨C Action Plan from 2007 to 2009, and upgrade the cooperation level in a comprehensive way, so as to enable people from both sides to receive substantial benefits.

The summit becomes a new milestone for Sino-African friendship. China will go on supporting African countries in making new, continuous progress in the cause of safeguarding peace and developing their economies, and African countries, too, sincerely hope China will score still greater success in their national construction. China is ready to join hands with African countries and will, as always, contribute in developing Sino-African new strategic partnership and creating a new situation in Sino-African friendship and cooperation in line with the principles of sincere friendship, equality, mutual support and common development.

China and Africa will always be all-weather, good friends, good partners with sincere cooperation and regard each other as good brothers.

By People's Daily Online