Zimbabwean media hail achievements under auspices of FOCAC

On the advent of the fourth ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Egypt, Zimbabwean media, both newspapers and radio broadcast, have hailed the great achievements made under the auspices of the forum over the past years.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Friday left for Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to join other heads of state and government attending the meeting, where the leaders will review the progress made in strengthening the Sino-African ties since the 2006 Beijing summit.

He is expected to address the opening ceremony.

Apart from reviewing the implementation of agreements already reached, the two sides will also chart the course of action for the next three years.

Saturday's local newspaper The Herald said the Sino-African ties are premised on the principle of friendly cooperation to jointly meet the challenges of globalization and promote mutual development.

The FOCAC is a platform established by the two sides for collective consultation and dialogue within the spirit of South-South cooperation.

Africa's ties with China date back to the continent's liberation struggle. The relations between the two sides have grown in leaps and bounds over the past decade, the newspaper commented.

This is in marked contrast to the manner in which Western countries have historically sought to undermine Africa through unfair trade arrangements and direct meddling in local politics, it said.

According to another local newspaper The Chronicle's reports, Zimbabwe, in particular, has benefited immensely from the ties with China.

The construction of China-Zimbabwe Friendship Hospital in Mahusekwa, Mashonaland East province, began on October 30 this year. China recently completed the construction of a school in Bindura, while another one in Harare's environs will be done by the end of this year.

An agricultural demonstration center is also under construction at Gwebi College and senior Chinese agricultural experts who arrived in the country on October 25, will assist in grain production, dry land farming, aquaculture, animal disease prevention and control, and irrigation, the report said.

Source:Xinhua