Sino-African summit a historic event, Hu says

BEIJING  -- China will announce a package of major assistance, investment, trade and other key cooperation projects with Africa during the upcoming Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), scheduled for November 4-5, said Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo here on Thursday.

Two delegates chat at the opening session of the Senior Officials Meeting in Beijing November 1, 2006. The meeting was meant to make final preparations for the upcoming Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Forum scheduled for November 4-5. [newsphoto]

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Considering the wishes of African friends, the Chinese government has decided to offer more cooperation projects to Africa to deepen mutual benefit and cooperation and realize common development, Wei said at the Senior Officials Meeting of FOCAC, which was closed here on Thursday.

China has put forward a series of measures including debt relief, exemption of tariff and personnel training to promote the cooperation between China and Africa, said Wei, also Chinese side secretary general of the summit's organizing committee.

Forty eight African countries that have diplomatic relations with China are to participate in the two-day summit focusing on " friendship, peace, cooperation and development".

FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.

Since the FOCAC was established in 2000, economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa has entered a new era, with comprehensive, rapid and stable development.

Trade volume rocketed to 39.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2005 after breaking the mark of 10 billion dollars in 2000.

In addition, China has forgiven debts of 10.9 billion yuan (1. 38 billion U.S. dollars) by 31 heavily indebted poor countries and least developed countries in Africa and extended zero-tariff treatment to some imports from Africa.

China has helped establish nearly 900 projects in Africa and train some 14,600 personnel in various fields.