Speech at the Symposium on Development Finance

of the African Development Bank

Wei Jianguo

Vice Minister of Ministry of Commerce

(On May 13, 2007, Shanghai, for Reference)

Your Excellency President Donald Kaberuka.

Your Excellency Minister Suruma,

Your Excellency Vice President Xiang Junbo,

Your Excellency Vice President Gao Jian,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear Friends:

Years of work in Africa has instilled in me deep affection for this great continent. Today, I am very glad to meet my old and new friends here and to discuss with you how to strengthen our cooperation with African countries.

In recent years, peace, stability and development have become the main themes of the African continent. Since 1995, the annual growth rate of the African economy has been over 3 percent for 12 consecutive years. The growth rate hit 5.4 percent in 2006 and is expected to reach a 10 year high of 5.9 percent this year. African economy has entered a stage of sustainable and stable development. These achievements are results of both the efforts by all African governments and peoples and the assistance of the international community. For years, China, together with other members of the international community, has been supporting African countries in their independent development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear Friends:

Sino-African cooperation dates back to ancient times. China has always been attaching great importance to developing relations with Africa on the basis of “sincerity, friendship, equality, mutual benefit, cooperation and common development”. At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in November 2006, China and Africa established a new strategic partnership, designed to promote political equality and mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation, and cultural exchanges. This was a common choice made by our two sides, in light of our historical and practical conditions and with a view to building a better future.

China and African countries --- good friends treating each other sincerely.

China is the largest developing country in the world while Africa is the continent with the highest concentration of developing countries. In the last 50 years, Chinese people and African peoples have supported each other in their fight for national sovereignty and dignity. We have closely cooperated with each other in our national economic development and established profound friendship in the cause of safeguarding world peace and the national interests of developing countries. China has always been a staunching supporter of Africa’s anti-colonialism struggle for national independence and liberalization. We have been constantly supporting the national prosperity of African countries and safeguarding their legitimate rights. Chinese people will always bear in mind the words of our beloved Chairman Mao Zengdong who said that it was our African brothers that had borne us back the United Nations. China and Africa are two major forces for world peace and development. The Chinese people is ready to join efforts with African peoples to build a peaceful and prosperous world.

China and African countries—Close Brothers. To facilitate African countries in their development, in more than 50 years, the People’s Republic of China has assisted the completion of nearly 900 projects in Africa. We have trained 15,000 Africans, and provided scholarships to 18,000 African students to study in China, and dispatched 16,000 medical staff to work in Africa. China has unilaterally granted zero tariff treatment to the commodities exported to China from the least developed African countries and waived RMB10.9 billion’s debts owed by the heavily-indebted poor African countries and the least developed African countries. China always attaches great importance to social cause and people’s livelihood. As of the end of 2006, China had built 38 hospitals, sports stadiums with a total seating capacity of 760,000 people, 19 schools, 18 farms and 18 power stations, dug more than 700 wells, and constructed more than 2,000 kilometers railways and more than 3,000 kilometers highways for Africa. In the next three years, China will build 30 hospitals, 100 rural schools, 30 malaria control centers and 10 agricultural technological demonstration centers for Africa. We will continue to increase assistance, offer more debt relief, and open Chinese market to Africa.

China and African countries ---good partners based on equality and mutual benefit. The rapid development of Sino-African trade and economic cooperation has become an important force to push forward economic growth in Africa. It is estimated that currently Sino-African trade contributes to around 20% of Africa’s economic growth. Chinese products, noted for their high quality and competitive prices, have broken the monopoly by bit-ticket products and have brought real benefits to the African people. China’s technologies conform to the needs of Africa and have helped to reduce the operating costs. In 2006, Sino-African trade volume totaled US$55.5 billion, with China standing as Africa’s third largest trading partner. By the end of 2006, China had invested a total of US$11.7 billion in Africa, with the focus being agricultural development, processing and manufacturing, transportation, telecommunications, water conservancy, power and other infrastructure sectors.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear Friends:

Economic globalization has brought unprecedented development opportunities to all countries. However, it has also widened the gap between the south and the north and challenged Africa’s development. Without Africa’s stability and prosperity, there will be no global peace and development. That is why the international community should pay more attention to the endeavor of African countries to pursue regional stability and economic development. The international community should also take effective measures through multilateral or bilateral channels to help Africa solve the problems it encounters in development, which include, among other, excessive debt burden, poverty, diseases, hunger and lack of basic living facilities. The Chinese government will continue to work together with the international community and help Africa to increase its capacity for independent development and to realize the grand goals set by NEPAD.

At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, President Hu Jintao announced eight measures towards Africa on behalf of the Chinese government. These measures are designed to promote the new Sino-African strategic partnership. They include increasing assistance, providing preferential loans, establishing the Sino-African Development Fund, providing assistance to the construction of the African Union Conference Center, reducing debts, exempting tariffs, establishing trade and economic cooperation zones, training personnel, dispatching young volunteers, and strengthening educational and medical cooperation. The Chinese government always honors its words. In the beginning of this year, President Hu visited eight African countries, delivering the fruits of the Beijing Summit to the hands of the African countries and peoples in a timely manner. Not long ago, Mr. Jia Qinglin, Chairman of CCPCC, visited four African countries. His trip is aimed at carrying out the agreements signed during the Beijing Summit last November and implementing the consensus between President Hu and African leaders. Under the joint efforts from all parties, we have made noticeable headway in implementing the eight measures towards Africa. The Chinese government will work with African countries to speed up the implementation of the eight measures, to improve the medical and educational conditions of the African people, and to help African countries to reduce poverty and pursue all-round economic and social development. In so doing, China and Africa will further strengthen our friendship and cooperation and achieve our development goals characterized by mutual benefits and a win-win scenario.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear Friends:

As a Chinese saying goes: The flames rise high when everybody adds fuel to it. We are willing to conduct exchanges and cooperation with the international community and international organizations so that we all can tap our own advantages, work together and bring more tangible benefits to the African people. I am confident that under the constant efforts of African countries and peoples and with the continued attention and help from the international community, Africa will enjoy an even better future.

Thank you all!

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