Sino-African Relations, a model of friendly
cooperative relations between developing countries, have
undergone the test of international vicissitudes over a long
period of time and have been consolidated and strengthened
in the new situation.
China and African countries enjoy close political relations and frequent high level exchanges. Chinese leaders, including Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, and Hu Jintao have made trips to African countries in recent years. Since 1997, nearly 30 heads of state or heads of government from African countries have visited China. Both sides reached broad consensus on developing comprehensive cooperative Sino-African relations of long-term stability oriented towards the 21st century. There are also extensive exchanges between Chinese and African parliaments and parties. Both sides strengthen consultation, support each other in international affairs, especially on a series of major issues such as human rights, safeguard the legitimate rights of developing countries and make efforts to promote the establishment of a new just and rational international political and economic order. African countries support China's great course of unification. Most African countries firmly adhere to the One China Policy. In order to strengthen consultation and cooperation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has established consultation mechanisms at the ministerial level with Foreign Ministries from over a dozen African countries. The China-Africa Cooperation Forum--Beijing 2000 ministerial meeting held in October this year is the first collective dialogue between China and African countries, and will lay the foundation for the development of Sino-African relations in the new century.
China has provided great amount of unselfish aide to African countries since their independence to help them develop national economy and promote social development, which yielded good results and won appraise of African countries and people. In recent years, Sino-African exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade continue to develop in an in-depth manner. The Chinese government actively explores new ways, new channels and new areas in Sino-African economic and trade cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. While continuing to provide possible economic assistance without any political conditions attached, China actively encourages and supports the establishment of direct links between the Chinese and African companies and enterprises in their cooperation of mutual benefit, including joint venture cooperation on projects of Chinese aide. In accordance with international practice, the Chinese government sets up loans on favorable terms with government subsidy to support extra-territory-processing trade to expand the economic benefits of government assistance and enlarge the scale of bilateral cooperation. This practice has achieved initial success. In 1999, the total Sino-African trade volume reached US$6.5billion. Sino-African cooperation in many fields such as education, healthcare, and culture has shown good momentum for development. Both sides strengthen cooperation in human resources development. Besides the annual scholarship for African countries on various subjects, the Chinese government holds various forms of research and training courses to help African countries train professional talents. The Sino-African economic management research courses, the Senior African Diplomats Group and the African middle-aged and young diplomats training course have been run for 5 times each. The Chinese doctors and teachers are broadly welcomed by African countries and peoples.
Key word: China, Africa