Seychelles President James
Michel (R) shakes hands with Chinese President Hu Jintao upon Hu's arrival
at Mandarin in the Indian Ocean island of Seychelles February 9, 2007.
Picture taken February 9, 2007. [Reuters]
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Chinese President Hu Jintao
left the Seychellois capital of Victoria for Beijing on Saturday, winding up his
eight-nation African tour where he has had remarkable success in enhancing
friendship and cooperation between China and African countries.
The tour, which began on Jan. 30 and has taken him to Cameroon, Liberia,
Sudan, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles, marks his first
Africa trip after the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
(FOCAC) last November, the largest meeting between the two sides since the
1950s.
In Victoria, Hu met his Seychellois counterpart James Alix Michel for talks
on expanding the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two
nations.
The two countries signed a number of bilateral cooperation
documents following the talks.
In Maputo, Hu held talks with Mozambican President Armando Emilio Guebuza.
They exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as major global and regional
issues of common concern and reached a broad consensus.
Hu proposed that China and Mozambique enhance the exchange of high-level
visits and mutual political trust, deepen their economic cooperation, strengthen
the cultural and people-to-people interactions and boost their coordination in
international affairs.
The two countries issued a joint communique, agreeing to develop a new type
of China-Africa strategic partnership, featuring political equality and mutual
trust, economic win-win cooperation and cultural exchange.
The two sides signed accords on a partial relief of Mozambique's debts to
China, the construction of Mozambique's national stadium and the establishment
of an agricultural technology demonstration center in Mozambique, among other
things.
In Pretoria, the Chinese president and his South African counterpart Thabo
Mbeki held talks and reached a broad consensus on future development of
bilateral relations.
Hu put forward a five-point proposal for further promoting China-South Africa
ties, including ways of boosting political mutual trust, deepening economic and
trade cooperation, expanding the scope of bilateral cooperation, increasing
people-to-people contacts and intensifying multilateral cooperation.
China and South Africa agreed to view and develop bilateral ties from a
strategic perspective and push forward their strategic partnership, which is
based on equality, mutual benefit and common development.
In Windhoek, Hu held talks with Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba on
bilateral relations, the FOCAC and other major issues of common concern.
Speaking highly of Sino-Namibia friendship and cooperation, the two leaders
conducted in-depth discussions on how they could strengthen bilateral
cooperation and agreed to push the cooperative ties to a new high.
Pohamba said Hu's visit to Namibia, three months after the FOCAC,
demonstrated the importance China attaches to its ties with Namibia and its
efforts to fulfill its promises made at the FOCAC.
Hu and Pohamba later witnessed the signing of five documents for cooperation
in economic technology, human resources, education and tourism.
The Chinese president finished his visit to Namibia with a joint communique
reaffirming commitment to continuing mutual support on issues concerning
sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In Lusaka, Hu had talks with his Zambian counterpart Levy Patrick Mwanawasa,
discussing ways of enhancing friendship and economic and trade cooperation.
Hu hailed the all-weather friendship between China and Zambia, pledging to
remain a good friend, partner and brother to the southern African country.
Following their talks, the two countries signed eight cooperation agreements.
The Chinese president also met former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, and
attended the inauguration ceremony of a Zambia-China economic cooperation zone,
the first one to be set up by China in Africa.
Mwanawasa pledged to further improve the investment environment and hoped
that more Chinese and foreign enterprises will settle in the zone, bringing
along with them know-how and expertise necessary for the development of the zone
and all of Zambia.
In Khartoum, President Hu put forward four principles for the concerned
parties to observe in the pursuit of a solution to the Darfur issue.
The four principles are to respect Sudan's sovereignty and territorial
integrity; to solve the issue by peaceful means and by sticking to dialogue and
coordination based on equality; that the African Union and the United Nations
should play constructive roles in a peacekeeping mission in Darfur; and to
improve the situation in Darfur and living conditions of local people.
During the talks with Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, Hu said
that China appreciated efforts by the Sudanese government, the African Union,
the Arab League, the United Nations and countries concerned to solve the Darfur
issue, and hoped that the issue could be solved as soon as possible.
Al-Bashir reiterated that Sudan has adhered to the one-China policy and
opposed any attempt to separate Taiwan from China. In Monrovia, Hu talked with
Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. The two leaders witnessed the signing
of seven documents on cooperation in economy, technology, health, education and
agriculture, and also attended the inauguration of a malaria prevention and
treatment center supported by China.
During the visit there, Hu highlighted the solidarity and cooperation of
China with African countries, saying they always serve as a major foundation
stone for China's diplomatic work.
Hu said that China will place as a top priority the implementation of the
measures within the FOCAC framework and in line with the principles of mutual
benefit, friendly consultation, pragmatism and high efficiency
The Liberian president spoke highly of the friendly relationship between the
two countries and hoped the development of bilateral ties would result in a
win-win situation.
In Yaounde, Hu met his Cameroonian counterpart Paul Biya and other leaders of
the central western African country, to exchange views on how to consolidate
friendship and deepen bilateral cooperation.
The two sides signed a series of cooperation documents during the
visit.
At the start of the trip, the Chinese president said his visit
aimed to consolidate the traditional friendship between China and Africa, act on
the commitments made at the FOCAC, enlarge substantial cooperation and promote
common development.
At the FOCAC, Hu announced eight measures to strengthen China-Africa
cooperation, including the establishment of three to five trade and economic
cooperation zones in Africa in the next three years, the relief of debts owed by
some African countries with diplomatic ties with China, and that 30 hospitals
and 30 centers for malaria prevention and treatment would be built in
Africa.