BEIJING -- The Chinese
government is ready to build a new Sino-African strategic partnership, said a
senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) here Wednesday.
The partnership features political mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation
and cultural exchanges, said Liu Yunshan, a member of the CPC Central Committee
Political Bureau and a member of the CPC Central Committee Secretariat, at a
meeting with 17 press officials from 16 African countries, who are here to
attend a two-week seminar.
This is the third seminar hosted by the Information Office of China's State
Council for African press officials. The first two were held respectively in
2004 and 2005.
China issued its African policy paper in January this year, expounding
China's commitment to developing a new Sino-African strategic partnership under
today's circumstances.
Liu, also head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee,
pointed to the increasing press exchanges and cooperation between China and
African countries that have enhanced mutual understanding.
He said he hoped the African press officials would convey their experiences
in China to the African people as well as Chinese people's friendship.
Representatives of the African officials spoke highly of China's vigorous
development and said they hoped to further explore bilateral press cooperation
with the Chinese side.
Ethiopian Minister of Information Berhan Hailu said the seminar was "very
fruitful", and they have learned much about the reality of China through their
experiences here that is quite different from what they had imagined before
coming.
He said they also understood more about China's efforts to ensure that every
Chinese benefits from the country's development.
China's efforts to help African countries and to strengthen Africa-China
cooperation have made a deep impression on him, said the minister.
He said he is convinced that the current visit is "interesting, fruitful and
beneficial to all of us", and it will help promote Africa-China cooperation in
various aspects.
Lius Covane from the Mozambican Ministry of Education and Culture said he
hoped that African countries will learn from China's experiences in improving
people's livelihood.
Dominic Lamin from the Sierra Leone Information Ministry said African people
hear more about China from negative reports by western media and he will tell
African people about "the development that is taking place in China" and China's
"economic miracle".
During the seminar, which began on August 13, the African officials visited
booming Shenzhen City in south China, scenic Guizhou province in southwest
China, and China's capital city of Beijing.