Xi Jinping Calls for Peace, Development In Africa

People's Republic of China former Vice-President Xi Jinping. Xi was elected as the new leader of the Communist Party of China along with the new Central Committee., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Xi Jinping calls for peace, development in Africa

Tuesday, 26 March 2013 00:00

DAR ES SALAAM — Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on China’s Africa policy in the Tanzanian capital Dar-es-Salaam yesterday, calling for joint efforts from both sides to ensure peace and promote development.

In a speech delivered at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Tanzania’s economic capital, Xi, on a state visit to the East African country, said China and Africa will always be trustworthy friends and sincere partners.

The Chinese people are working hard to realise the Chinese dream of great national renewal, while the African people are committed to the African dream of gaining strength from unity and achieving development and rejuvenation, Xi said.

“The Chinese and African people should enhance unity, co-operation, mutual support and assistance so as to make our dreams come true. We should also work with the rest of the world to realise the dream of the world for enduring peace and common prosperity, and make new and even greater contribution to the noble cause of peace and development of mankind,” Xi said.

Xi, accompanied by Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, spoke to a packed auditorium.

He recalled the long-standing traditional friendship between China and Africa, and their sincere support for and close co-operation with each other in fighting colonialism and imperialism, achieving independence and liberation, and pursuing development and national revival.

“A fraternal bond has been formed in this process, which has seen us through thick and thin,” the Chinese president said.

China-Africa relations have now entered a fast track of all-round development, Xi said, adding the two sides have set up the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and established a new type of strategic partnership.

“Friendship and co-operation between the two people has become a symbol of China-Africa relations and is well received by the international community,” said Xi.

Meanwhile, China and Tanzania agreed on Sunday to build a comprehensive co-operative partnership characterised by mutal benefit and win-win results.

The agreement was reached at a meeting between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Tanzanian counterpart Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.

Calling the East African country an old friend and a good friend of China, Xi said the two countries have maintained an all-weather friendship and China cherishes the time-tested bond with Tanzania.

China, he added, is ready to work with Tanzania to foster a comprehensive co-operative partnership characterised by mutual benefit and win-win results and lift bilateral relations to a higher level.

Noting that both countries face the task of national development, Xi said the two sides should trust, support and help each other and pursue common development.

They should maintain contacts and exchanges, continue to support each other on core interests and major concerns, and strengthen coordination and cooperation on global and regional issues, added the Chinese president.

China, he said, is willing to continue to support Tanzania’s socio-economic development and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Tanzania.

The two countries need to boost bilateral people-to-people exchanges and carry on their traditional friendship, said the Chinese president, adding that China will set up a Chinese culture centre in Tanzania.

Commenting on Africa’s overall situation, Xi said Africa is a continent full of hope and has a bright future despite the many difficulties and challenges it faces now.

For his part, Kikwete extended a warm welcome to Xi and thanked China for its long-term support and assistance for his country, pledging that his country will continue to firmly back China on major issues concerning national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Tanzania, he said, commits itself to economic development and hopes to strengthen cooperation with China both bilaterally and under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa co-operation in such areas as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, poverty alleviation and human resources.

After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several co-operation deals.

The meeting came hours after Xi arrived for a state visit to Tanzania, the second leg of his maiden foreign trip as president following Russia.

In a written statement upon his arrival, Xi lauded the traditional brotherly friendship between China and Tanzania, describing the two countries as all-weather friends.

The Chinese president said his visit is aimed at consolidating the traditional friendship, charting the course for future co-operation and promoting common development.

Since China and Tanzania established diplomatic ties in the 1960s, the two countries have maintained close high-level contacts, enhanced political mutual trust and expanded practical cooperation in a wide range of areas.

China has become Tanzania’s largest trading partner and second largest source of investment. Bilateral trade reached US$2,47 billion last year, up 15,2 percent year on year.

After Tanzania, Xi will also travel to South Africa and the Republic of the Congo. In South Africa, he will attend the fifth Brics summit in the port city of Durban on March 26-27, the first to be held on the African continent.

The emerging-economy group of Brics consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

— Xinhua.