In October of 2000, Beijing played host to the China-Africa
Forum on Cooperation-Ministerial Meeting, an event organized to
address globalization and enhance cooperation between China and
African countries. Attendees included Foreign Minister Tang
Jiaxuan, Shi Guangsheng of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and
Economic Cooperation, 80 ministers in charge of foreign affairs and
international trade and economic cooperation from 45 African
countries that have diplomatic relations with China, and other
representatives. Malawi and Liberia, two countries without
diplomatic relations with China, also sent representatives as
observers to the meeting. The attendance reached 500.
China and Africa's new order
The meeting reached a broad consensus about establishing a fair
and just international political and economic order in the 21st
century, and discussed how to promote Sino-African economic and
trade cooperation. The creation of two official documents, Beijing
Declaration of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and
Sino-African Cooperation Guidelines for Social and Economic
Development, came out of the two-day discussions. Both documents
lay the framework for China and Africa to build long-standing,
stable and mutually beneficial new relations.
Since the meeting, China and Africa have followed closely to the
forum's follow-up action. China established a committee consisting
of 21 government departments in December of 2000, co-chaired by
leaders of the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Trade
and Economic Cooperation. The committee's secretariat is the
Department of African Affairs and is in charge of coordination and
handling of day-to-day affairs of the forum. Ethiopia, Gabon, Sudan
and Zambia also established follow-up action organizations.
In the past three years, implementation efforts on both sides
have been hugely successful. Since October 2000, 30 leaders of
African Countries visited China and the former president Jiang
Zemin and ex-premier Zhu Rongji have both visited Africa. China
reduced debts of 31 African countries, which contributed greatly to
the economic and social development of these countries.
Trade between China and Africa continues to rapidly increase. In
2000, the total volume of bilateral trade was more than US$10
billion, a six-fold increase from 1991. The bilateral trade volume
of January to July of 2003 reached US$10.253 billion. The Chinese
government encourages Chinese enterprises to invest and trade in
Africa, as the demonstrated and potential growth is sure to aid
both sides. In the past three years, China has also trained 7,000
African people for professions aiding African economic and social
development.
The China-Africa Cooperation Forum is an important platform for
dialogue and strengthening solidarity and cooperation. In April of
2002, the Procedures on the Follow-up Mechanism of China-Africa
Cooperation Forum passed by China and Africa officially went into
effect. According to the document, China and Africa should
alternatively hold ministerial level forum meetings every three
years, and hold high-level official meetings one year prior to
ministerial meetings
Looking to the future
From December 15 to 16, 2003, Ethiopia's capital Addis-Ababa
will be the scene of the ministerial meeting of the Second
China-Africa Forum on Cooperation, with Ethiopia and China
co-presiding the meeting.
The gathering will address the implementation of the Beijing
Declaration of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation and
Sino-African Cooperation Guidelines for Social and Economic
Development as well as human resource development, agriculture,
infrastructure, investment and trade. The underlying theme will be
the pragmatic and cooperative China-Africa Cooperation Forum-Addis
Ababa Action Plan(2004-2006),which will lay out and deploy Chinese
and African cooperation in political, economic, trade and social
development areas.
On this, the first time the forum's ministerial level meeting is
to be held on the African continent, it will be attended by Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao and Ethiopian Premier Meles Zenawi. Foreign
ministers and ministers in charge of international economic
cooperation from member countries of the forum will head their
respective delegations.
China and Ethiopia will also jointly hold China-Africa Business
Conference, for which China will organize 100 enterprises
interested in Africa to discuss the business opportunities though
cooperation with African entrepreneurs.
(China.org.cn December 11, 2003)