Dear Colleagues, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

I am delighted to meet you at the opening of the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, as we are gathered here both to renew the friendship between the Chinese and African peoples and discuss ways to boost China-Africa friendship and all-round cooperation. On behalf of the Chinese government and people and in my own name, I wish to extend a very warm welcome to all the distinguished guests coming from afar. I also wish to take this opportunity to convey through you the cordial greetings and best wishes of the Chinese people to the brotherly African people!

In October 2000, FOCAC was set up in response to the call of the times. This initiative demonstrates the shared desire of the Chinese and African people to seek peace, cooperation and development in a changing world. In the past 12 years since its founding, the FOCAC member states, maintaining unity and working together, have made important progress in strengthening this mechanism of cooperation. The theme of the current Ministerial Conference is "build on past achievements and open up new prospects for the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership." China and Africa should, with both current and long-term needs in mind, redouble efforts to draw up a blueprint for promoting our cooperation in the next stage and lay a solid foundation for making new and greater progress in growing China-Africa relations in the years ahead.

尊敬的各位同事、各位嘉宾，

女士们，先生们，朋友们：

今天，有机会同出席中非合作论坛第五届部长级会议的各位朋友在北京相聚，共叙中非人民友谊，共商全面深化中非友好合作大计，我感到十分高兴。首先，我谨代表中国政府和人民，并以我个人的名义，对远道而来的各国嘉宾，表示热烈的欢迎！借此机会，我愿通过在座各位非洲朋友，向兄弟的非洲人民转达中国人民的诚挚问候和良好祝愿！

2000年10月，中非合作论坛应运而生。这一创举符合时代要求，反映了新形势下中非人民求和平、谋发展、促合作的共同愿望。论坛成立12年来，各成员国团结一致、密切协作，推动这一合作机制持续向前发展、取得重要成就。本届部长级会议的主题是“继往开来，开创中非新型战略伙伴关系新局面”。中非双方应该再接再厉、共同努力，既立足当前，又着眼长远，共同描绘下一阶段中非合作发展蓝图，为中非关系取得新的更大的发展打下坚实基础。