Common development of China, Africa fundamental to both sides: Mbeki

South African President Thabo Mbeki hailed the success of the recently-held Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and called for further cooperation between the two sides, refuting the suspicion from some disagreeing voices.

In a signed article published online in the official website of the ruling party, African National Congress of South Africa (ANC), Mbeki praised the African and Chinese peoples' unyielding spirit that created splendid civilizations in ancient times, and their struggle to pursue freedom, liberation, human dignity, economic development and national rejuvenation in the modern era.

In his article, Mbeki agreed with Chinese President Hu Jintao's opinion that "we must achieve greater progress in economy, democracy, science, education and culture, make our societies more harmonious and ensure a better life for our peoples." And all these must be achieved through "reform and opening up."

Witnessing the great economic development of China in recent years, Mbeki identified the importance of Africa for the emerging economic power. To quadruple its 2000 GDP by 2020 means China will require enormous quantities of capital, the necessary labor power and huge volumes of raw materials, including energy resources, as well as intermediate products, he said. Africa, rich in raw materials, including oil and gas, is thus strategically important to China, the president stressed.

Some economists alleged that the economic relationship between Africa and China would replicate the historic colonial economic relationship, Mbeki admitted, when Africa served as a source of raw materials and a market for goods manufactured in the colonizing countries.

Yet the most significant difference in the modern economic relations between Africa and China is that, Mbeki added, the Chinese leadership and people have realized that the China-Africa partnership, which has material value both to China and Africa, meant a durable and long lasting win-win relationship, primarily based on mutual benefit.

"China understands that she can only prosper on a sustainable basis if Africa prospers on a sustainable basis," Mbeki wrote.

The effort to achieve the common development of China and Africa serves the fundamental interests to both sides, Mbeki emphasized.

Having realized this need for a mutually beneficial sustainable partnership, African and Chinese leaders adopted the sector-specific Beijing Action Plan (2007-2009) during the Beijing Summit, based on the shared imperative to "promote friendship, peace, cooperation and development," and to "advance the new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa," said the president.

He also mentioned Chinese President Hu Jintao's proposal of eight-steps to help the African people. He raised the question by some people that "it is paradoxical that a developing country with a relatively low per capita GDP ... can, at the same time, commit itself 'to provide assistance and support to the African people in an effort to achieve the common development of China and Africa'. At worst, these people see this commitment as constituting nothing more than deceitful demagogy," he said.

The president simply brushed off such suspicions, saying that Africa has long been "familiar with this kind of expressions of skepticism or cynical rejection." He added that the same questions are raised when South Africa pledges to offer help to the international community.

"The question is posed about how, given all the pressing challenges of poverty and underdevelopment we face in our country, resulting from long periods of colonialism and apartheid, we can also find the time and the resources, however limited, to honour our principled commitment to the practice of international solidarity," Mbeki remarked in his article.

The South African president showed strong confidence in the future of China-Africa partnership and cooperation. "We must adopt a dynamic approach to our strategic partnership, so that we all win in Africa, with Africa, and similarly win in China, with China," he appealed.

Source: Xinhua