The Beijing Summit and Third Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation convened in the Chinese capital from November 3 to 5, 2006. The heads of state of nearly 40 African countries attended the Beijing Summit.
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is a modern platform for China and its diplomatic partners in Africa. African nations to hold talks on effective mechanisms for the promotion of economic and technical cooperation. The forum is aimed at strengthening communication and expanding cooperation among participants both through political dialogue and economic and trade cooperation. It is established on the basis of equal partnership and strives to bring about effective cooperation that promotes common development. Says Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, “China and various African nations instigated diplomatic relations 50 years ago. This year both sides agreed upon the Beijing Summit in the belief that it was conducive to their own development, and to world peace, development and progress.”
When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, the central government set as an important diplomatic task the establishment and development of friendly relations with African nations. On May 30, 1956, Egypt became the first African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. By the time China restored its diplomatic relations with Senegal at the end of 2005, it had established diplomatic relations with 47 out of the 53 African countries.
In April 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya. Two months later, Premier Wen Jiabao toured another seven African nations. According to An Yongyu, a veteran Chinese diplomat and president of the China Institute for African Studies, said that was the first time in history that both a Chinese president and premier visited Africa within the same year. It was, he said, an indication of the great importance that China attaches to its relations with African countries.
Mr. An says since Africa is the world’s largest continent of developing countries, and China is the world’s largest developing country, Sino-African cooperation is conducive to world prosperity and stability and that it is in the interests of both Chinese and African people, as well as those of the entire world.
