Sunday, December 06, 2015

FOCAC Summit Closes With Fruitful Results
   2015-12-06 07:18:50  
CRIENGLISH.com    
Web Editor: Li Jianhua


Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a group meeting with leaders of 17 African countries in Johannesburg, South Africa. [Photo: Xinhua]

The 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit has come to an end in South Africa with all sides hailing it as a success, yielding fruitful results.

Leaders on both sides reached a consensus on lifting China-Africa relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

CRI's Li Jianhua has more.

The Johannesburg summit was the second of its kind under the 15-year-old framework of FOCAC, which groups China, 50 African countries that have established diplomatic ties with China, and the Commission of the African Union.

Attended by the Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders and representatives of about 50 African countries, it ended with the approval of the Johannesburg Declaration of FOCAC and the FOCAC-Johannesburg action plans (2016-2018).

Addressing the meeting, the Chinese President said the two documents, representing all-round planning for the future development of China-Africa relations, would also provide a strong spiritual guide and a political guarantee for the two sides to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation on a higher level across more areas.

In his closing speech, President Xi also noted the remarkable achievements FOCAC had reached in the past 15-years and considered the prospects for further China-Africa cooperation in the future.

"We have exchanged opinions on global and regional issues and decided to strengthen cooperation and coordination to maintain our mutual interests of China and Africa and the overall interests of developing countries."

From the African side, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, described the summit as a "ground-breaking and momentous occasion."

He said that the relationship between Africa and China was not new but a long-standing historic relationship, and that China had given great support to Africa in its process of fighting colonialism and imperialism in the African continent.

In addition, Zuma also expressed his appreciation of President Xi's earlier announcement to provide financial support for Africa.

"The package of capital assistance to support the ten areas to the tune of 60 billion U.S. dollars was announced. This includes grants, preferential and concessional loans, a China-Africa industrial cooperation fund and debt relief."

The Africa leaders expressed willingness to participate actively in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, enhance security cooperation, and speak with one voice in the international arena, so as to safeguard common interests, and face common challenges.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.


Chinese President Pledges Support for African Independent Development
 
2015-12-05 21:47:35  
CRIENGLISH.com    
Web Editor: Yang Tiantian

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a group meeting with leaders of 17 African countries on China-Africa cooperation and mutual development in Johannesburg, South Africa, Dec. 5, 2015.

China firmly supports Africa's pursuit of independent sustainable development and backs African countries to address regional affairs in an independent way, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday.

Xi, who is co-chairing a major China-Africa summit here, made the remarks when holding a group meeting with leaders of 17 African countries.

China supports African countries' efforts in exploring a development path in line with their own national conditions, said the president.

To that end, Xi said, China stands ready to play a constructive role in promoting political settlement of Africa's hot-spot issues, beef up cooperation with African countries on peace-keeping capability, and share its experience on reform, opening-up and economic boom with them.

China is willing to encourage more Chinese companies to actively participate in the process of industrialization and modernization of the remote continent, he added.

It is in the interest of both sides that China and Africa will strengthen unity and cooperation and achieve common development, Xi said.

China and Africa now are facing a rare historic opportunity of cooperation and development, he said, noting China has set its new development prospect in the coming years and the two sides have respective advantages in cooperation.

China, Xi stressed, stands ready to work with African countries to earnestly implement the outcomes of the two-day summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which will be concluded later Saturday, so as to better achieve common development.

Leaders from Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Senegal, Liberia, Benin, Mauritania, Cote d'Ivoire, Niger, Cape Verde, Malawi, Guinea-Bissau, Zambia, Algeria, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Sierra Leone as well as Burundi attended the group meeting.

The leaders expressed appreciation to China for its valuable contribution to Africa's development, stressing that the continuous development of China will further benefit African nations since their cooperation is established on the basis of equality and win-win principle.

President Xi's initiatives on South-South cooperation and China-Africa ties meet the need of African countries, they said, noting that they are looking forward to strengthening cooperation with China in areas such as industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure construction, digital economy, regional integration, education, people-to-people exchanges, peace-keeping and security.

The Johannesburg summit, the second of its kind in the 15-year history of the FOCAC, has drawn leaders and representatives from China, 50 African countries and the Commission of the African Union here to find a way for stronger China-Africa relationship.

On Friday, Xi announced a package of programs to strengthen China-Africa cooperation and support Africa's development in the coming three years at the opening ceremony, winning waves of applause.

He stressed China's adherence to the principle of noninterference in internal affairs of African countries amid enhancing economic ties during his Africa tour, which also took him to Zimbabwe's capital Harare and South Africa's executive capital Pretoria.

The Chinese president has exchanged views with dozens of African leaders in various forms after his arrival in Johannesburg on Thursday. Following the group meeting he held with 13 African leaders on Friday morning, the group meeting on Saturday morning was the second of its kind on the sidelines of the summit.


Kenyan President Lambasts "New Colonialism" Allegations against China

2015-12-05 22:12:31  
Xinhua    
Web Editor: Guan Chao

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday lambasted allegations by certain Western countries that China was imposing "new colonialism" on Africa.

There have been detractors who constantly insinuate that China's intentions in Africa could be similar to those of the colonialists, the president told reporters on the sidelines of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

It is "a big wrong misconception" to allege that China comes to Africa to colonize the continent, he noted.

"The perception that China is the new colonizer is a complete misrepresentation of Beijing's activities here in Africa. Achievement of mutual benefits is the basis of Sino-Africa cooperation," Kenyatta remarked.

He added that Kenya has realized great strides like infrastructure development and skills transfer thanks to the partnership with China.

"I don't think that a partner who is helping us fight poverty and other development challenges can be called a colonizer. China is asking us how we can partner to achieve our development priorities," said Kenyatta.

China's presence in Africa "is focused on our needs and not on what they can get from us", Kenyatta said.

What China is doing in Africa is good for the sustainable development of the continent, he said, adding that Africa and China are partners working on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefits.

"China is ready to help us develop and meet our socio-economic objectives without imposing its agenda on us. This is the outstanding aspect of our cooperation with China," Kenyatta remarked.

China is doing what the colonialists failed to do in the past: help Africa out of poverty, the president said.

This marked a strong contrast with what colonialists were doing before, he stressed.

Relations between African countries and China are entering a critical phase as both sides focus attention on areas that generate real benefits to citizens, Kenyatta said.

The African and Chinese leaders will pursue a partnership that is sincere and mutually beneficial, he said.

The president was upbeat that the resolutions to be adopted at the sixth FOCAC summit will reflect the needs and aspirations of the African people.

"I'm optimistic that the outcomes of the summit will be in line with our goal to strengthen future cooperation with China. The new focus on China-Africa cooperation centers on industrialization, modernization of agriculture and training," said Kenyatta.

Sino-Africa cooperation is set to be enhanced as it has stood out due to its focus on practical results, mutual benefits and sincerity from both sides, he said.

Kenyatta was among dozens of African leaders who were attending the first FOCAC summit held in the African continent on Friday and Saturday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his African counterparts are expected to adopt new resolutions to revitalize bilateral cooperation between China and African states when the summit ends on Saturday afternoon.

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