Officials attend the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2012. The Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) opened here on Thursday, as Chinese and African leaders gathered to discuss measures to deepen China-Africa ties. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)
BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The Fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) opened here on Thursday, as Chinese and African leaders gathered to discuss measures to deepen China-Africa ties.
When addressing the opening ceremony, Chinese President Hu Jintao proposed a series of new measures in five priority areas to boost the China-Africa ties.
"In the next three years, the Chinese government will take measures in the following five priority areas to support the cause of peace and development in Africa and boost a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership," said Hu.
The Chinese side will expand cooperation in investment and financing to support sustainable development in Africa. China will provide 20 billion U.S. dollars of credit line to African countries to assist them in developing infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
China will build more agricultural technology demonstration centers as necessary to help African countries increase production capacity. It will implement the "African Talents Program" to train 30,000 personnel in various sectors for Africa, offer 18,000 government scholarships, and build cultural and vocational skills training facilities in African countries.
China will also help African countries enhance capacity building in meteorological infrastructure and forest protection and management, and will continue to carry out well-drilling and water supply projects in Africa to provide safe drinking water for the African people.
In addition, the Chinese side will support the African integration process and help Africa enhance capacity for overall development. It will establish a partnership with Africa on transnational and trans-regional infrastructure development, support related project planning and feasibility studies and encourage established Chinese companies and financial institutions to take part in transnational and trans-regional infrastructural development in Africa.
The Chinese side will also enhance people-to-people friendship to lay a solid foundation of public support for enhancing China-Africa common development. China proposes to carry out "China-Africa people-to-people friendship action" to support and promote exchanges and cooperation between people's organizations, women and youth of the two sides.
According to Hu, China will also launch the "Initiative on China-Africa Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Security", deepen cooperation with the African Union (AU) and African countries in peace and security in Africa, provide financial support for the AU peace-keeping missions in Africa and the development for the African Standby Force, and train more officials in peace and security affairs and peace-keepers for the AU.
According to Hu, important progress has been made in realizing China-Africa new type of strategic partnership, thanks to the joint efforts of both sides.
He said China and Africa should strengthen political mutual trust and expand practical cooperation in order to open up new prospects for China-Africa partnership.
The ministerial conference is being held in the Chinese capital on Thursday and Friday, bringing together heads of state and government, foreign ministers and ministers for foreign economic cooperation from China and 50 African countries, as well as representatives from the AU.