Full Text of
President Hu's Speech At China-Africa Summit
source:
www.chinaview.cn
, November 4, 2006
Chinese President Hu Jintao gives a speech at the opening ceremony of the
Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) at the Great
Hall of the People in Beijing, Nov. 4, 2006.
The following is the full text of Hu Jintao's speech:
Your Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi,
Distinguished colleagues and guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
Our meeting today will go down in history. We, leaders of China and African
countries, in a common pursuit of friendship, peace, cooperation and
development, are gathered in Beijing today to renew friendship, discuss ways of
growing China-Africa relations and promote unity and cooperation among
developing countries. On behalf of the Chinese Government and people and in my
own name, I wish to extend a very warm welcome to you and deep appreciation to
you for attending the Summit. I also want to extend, through the African leaders
present today, the cordial greetings and best wishes of the Chinese people to
the brotherly African people.
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was jointly set up by China and Africa in
October 2000, a major initiative taken to promote traditional China-Africa
friendship and cooperation. In the six years since then, two ministerial
conferences have been held, first in Beijing and then in Addis Ababa. Today, the
Forum serves as an important platform and effective mechanism for conducting
collective dialogue, exchanging experience in governance and enhancing mutual
trust and cooperation in practical terms between China and African countries.
Dear colleagues and friends,
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of diplomatic ties
between New China and African countries. Though vast oceans keep China and
Africa far apart, the friendship between our peoples has a long history and,
having been tested by times, is strong and vigorous. In the long course of
history, the Chinese and African peoples, with an unyielding and tenacious
spirit, created splendid and distinctive ancient civilisations. In the modern
era, our peoples launched unremitting and heroic struggle against subjugation,
and have written a glorious chapter in the course of pursuing freedom and
liberation, upholding human dignity, and striving for economic development and
national rejuvenation. The progress and development of China and Africa are a
major contribution to the advancement of human civilisation.
During the past five decades, the Chinese and African peoples have forged close
unity, and our friendship has flourished. China-Africa exchanges and cooperation
have grown in all fields and yielded fruitful results. In international affairs,
China and Africa enjoy trust and cooperate closely to uphold the legitimate
rights and interests of the developing world.
In all these years, China has firmly supported Africa in winning liberation and
pursuing development. China has trained technical personnel and other
professionals in various fields for Africa. It has built the Tanzara Railway and
other infrastructural projects and sent medical teams and peacekeepers to
Africa. All this testifies to the friendship cherished by the Chinese people
towards the African people. We in China will not forget Africa's full support
for restoring the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the United
Nations. Nor will we forget the sincere and ardent wish of African countries and
people for China to realise complete and peaceful reunification and achieve the
goal of building a modern nation.
Today, China-Africa friendship is deeply rooted in the hearts of our two
peoples, and our friendship has endured the test of time and changes in the
world. This is because we have never strayed from the principle of enhancing
friendship, treating each other as equals, extending mutual support and
promoting common development in building our ties.
— Friendship provides a solid foundation for reinforcing China- Africa friendly
ties. We both value our traditional friendship and are committed to enhancing
it.
— Treating each other as equals is crucial for ensuring mutual trust. We both
respect the development path independently embarked upon by the other side. We
both are serious in addressing each other’s concerns and are eager to benefit
from each other’s practice in development.
— Mutual support is the driving force behind the ever growing China-Africa
cooperation. We both wish to see progress in the development endeavour of the
other side and sincerely support such endeavour. And we are engaged in
comprehensive cooperation.
— Common development is the shared aspiration of the Chinese and African
peoples. We are committed to pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation to bring
the benefits of development to our peoples.
Dear colleagues and friends,
The world today is undergoing profound and complex changes. But peace,
development and cooperation remain the calling of the times. There is a growing
trend towards multipolarity and economic globalization. Science and technology
are making daily advance, regional cooperation is deepening and there is
increasing interdependence among nations. All this has created rare development
opportunities for the international community. On the other hand, imbalance in
global development, widening gap between North and South, the combination of
traditional and non-traditional security threats as well as increasing factors
of instability and uncertainty standing in the way of peace and development all
pose a daunting challenge to developing countries in their pursuit of
sustainable development.
China is the largest developing country, and Africa is home to the largest
number of developing countries. Our combined population accounts for over a
third of the world total. Without peace and development in China and Africa,
there will be no global peace and development.
In this new era, China and Africa share increasing common interests and have a
growing mutual need. The forging of a new type of China-Africa strategic
partnership is determined by the dynamics of China-Africa cooperation, and it
represents our wish to promote global peace and development. Building strong
ties between China and Africa will not only promote development of each side,
but also help cement unity and cooperation among developing countries and
contribute to establishing a just and equitable new international political and
economic order. To enhance this new type of strategic partnership, China will
strengthen cooperation with Africa in the following fields:
First, deepen political relation of equality and mutual trust. We will maintain
high-level contacts and mutual visits, establish a regular high-level political
dialogue mechanism and conduct strategic dialogue to enhance mutual political
trust and traditional friendship and achieve common progress through unity.
Second, broaden win-win economic cooperation. We will give full play to our
respective strength, enhance economic and trade ties, broaden areas of
cooperation, support cooperation between our business communities, upgrade
cooperation in human resources development and explore new ways of cooperation
so that both sides will share the benefits of development.
Third, expand exchange for cultural enrichment. We will strengthen cultural and
people-to-people exchanges to increase mutual understanding and friendship
between our two peoples and particularly between the younger generation. We will
enhance exchanges and cooperation in education, science and technology, culture,
public health, sports and tourism to provide intellectual motivation and
cultural support for China-Africa cooperation.
Fourth, promote balanced and harmonious global development. We will enhance
South-South cooperation and promote North-South dialogue. We urge developed
countries to honour their promises on market access, aid and debt relief. We
should strive to meet the Millennium Development Goals and steer economic
globalisation in the direction of creating prosperity for all.
Fifth, strengthen cooperation and mutual support in international affairs. We
are committed to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,
respecting diversity of the world and promoting democracy in international
relations. We call for enhancing international security cooperation based on
mutual trust and benefit and addressing each other’s concerns through
consultation and coordination so that we can jointly respond to threats and
challenges to global security.
Dear colleagues and friends,
China values its friendship with Africa. To strengthen unity and cooperation
with Africa is a key principle guiding China's foreign policy. China will
continue to support Africa in implementing the New Partnership for Africa's
Development and in its effort to strengthen itself through unity, achieve peace
and stability and economic revitalisation in the region and raise its
international standing.
To forge a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership and strengthen our
cooperation in more areas and at a higher level, the Chinese Government will
take the following eight steps:
1. Double its 2006 assistance to Africa by 2009.
2. Provide 3 billion U.S. dollars of preferential loans and 2 billion U.S.
dollars of preferential buyer's credits to Africa in the next three years.
3. Set up a China-Africa development fund which will reach 5 billion U.S.
dollars to encourage Chinese companies to invest in Africa and provide support
to them.
4. Build a conference centre for the African Union to support African countries
in their efforts to strengthen themselves through unity and support the process
of African integration.
5. Cancel debt in the form of all the interest-free government loans that
matured at the end of 2005 owed by the heavily indebted poor countries and the
least developed countries in Africa that have diplomatic relations with China.
6. Further open up China's market to Africa by increasing from 190 to over 440
the number of export items to China receiving zero-tariff treatment from the
least developed countries in Africa having diplomatic ties with China.
7. Establish three to five trade and economic cooperation zones in Africa in the
next three years.
8. Over the next three years, train 15,000 African professionals; send 100
senior agricultural experts to Africa; set up 10 special agricultural technology
demonstration centres in Africa; build 30 hospitals in Africa and provide RMB
300 million of grant for providing artemisinin and building 30 malaria
prevention and treatment centres to fight malaria in Africa; dispatch 300 youth
volunteers to Africa; build 100 rural schools in Africa; and increase the number
of Chinese government scholarships to African students from the current 2000 per
year to 4000 per year by 2009.
Dear colleagues and friends,
Both China and Africa are cradles of human civilisation and lands of great
promise. Common destiny and common goals have brought us together. China will
remain a close friend, reliable partner and good brother of Africa.
Let's join hands and endeavour to promote development in both China and Africa,
improve the well-being of our peoples and build a harmonious world of enduring
peace and common prosperity!
Thank you.
