Ｉｎｃｒｅａｓｉｎｇｌｙ Ａｃｔｉｖｅ Ｓｉｎｏ－Ａｆｒｉｃａｎ Ｎｏｎｇｏｖｅｒｎｍｅｎｔａｌ Ｅｘｃｈａｎｇｅｓ

Editor’s note: This year sees the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between New China and the African countries. The Sino-African relations of friendship and cooperation have gone through the tests of time for half a century and the vicissitudes of the world situation and become more mature and full of vitality. China and Africa are all-weather friends， sincere cooperation partners and good brothers. The Chinese Government issued China’s African Policy early this year. President Hu Jintao visited three African countries in April and Premier Wen Jiabao went to seven African countries in July. China hosted the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Third Ministerial Meeting in November. These important activities fully show the great importance the Chinese Government and people attach to Sino-African relations as well as their sincere wishes and firm determination to further develop the relations. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary， Voice of Friendship publishes a series of articles on China’s relations with African countries in the political， economic， trade， cultural， scientific， technological， educational， health， people-to-people friendship and other fields in the past five decades to present a full picture of the development of the friendly relations for our readers.

Nongovernmental diplomacy is an important component of China’s overall diplomacy. The Chinese-African People’s Friendship Association (CAPFA)， a nongovernmental diplomatic organization， was set up relatively early in 1960. In the past over 40 years， closely coordinated with the country’s overall diplomatic work and adhering to enhancing friendship between the Chinese and African people， the CAPFA has done a great deal in promoting Sino-African political friendship， economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges， and made gratifying achievements. The course of the development of the CAPFA fully proves that non-governmental diplomacy occupies an important place in the country’s overall diplomacy. The CAPFA is an important force in promoting the development of the cause of Sino-African nongovernmental diplomacy.

In the early days of New China， Sino-African nongovernmental friendly exchanges were carried out mainly in the form of mutual support and friendly cooperation between the Chinese and African people in the struggle against imperialism and colonialism. China supported African countries’ national liberation movement and development of national economy. By providing political support， economic aid and personnel training， China supported those countries that had not yet won national independence to carry on their struggle for national liberation and helped those that had won independence to build up their national economy. In the international affairs， African countries have closely cooperated with China and given China generous help to break the diplomatic blockade imposed by Western powers and restore lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations.

Since China implemented the policy of reform and opening up， its international status has been raised unprecedentedly， and external exchanges have become increasingly extensive. At present China has established diplomatic relations with 47 of the 53 African countries. The friendly exchanges between the Chinese and African people have entered a new stage of development. While keeping the traditional friendly cooperation， China and Africa have gradually carried out exchanges and cooperation in the political， economic， cultural， educational and social fields， and made remarkable achievements.

The CAPFA has always persisted in developing people-to-people friendship with Africa along the line of “making many and close friends”. African countries’ friendship-with-China organizations are CAPFA’s major reliable friends in Africa. These organizations composed of local personages friendly to China have made important contributions to publicizing China’s economic achievements and spreading Sino-African friendship. The CPAFFC has specially set up the title of “Friendship Ambassador” to commend the leaders of the organizations that have been engaged in the work of developing friendship with China for a long time.Crescent Rakotofiringa， president of the Madagascar-China Friendship Association， has been conferred upon this honorary title.

The CAPFA attaches great importance to making many African friends in various fields， especially with influential personages of the upper strata. Over the past more than 20 years since the reform and opening up， the CAPFA has invited many important African political figures to visit China in the capacity of friendly personage， and among them are Queen of the Kingdom of Lesotho， King of Zulu of South Africa， chairman of the Council of Constitution of Algeria， former president of Seychelles， vice president of the Cote d’Ivoire’s National Assembly， vice president of the Madagascan National People’s Assembly， minister of the interior of Djibouti， minister of capacity building of Ethiopia， ministers of macro policy and international economic cooperation， public works and tourism of Eritrea， minister of presidential affairs of Uganda， minister of presidential and public affairs of Sierra Leone， etc.. Through friendly visits to China， they have gained better understanding of the country and given a new impetus to the development of Sino-African friendly relations.

In January 2003 the CAPFA warmly received Dr. Gibert Bukenya， minister of the presidential affairs of Uganda. When he returned home， he went straight from the airport to the Chinese Embassy in Uganda to take part in the party organized by the Embassy to celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival. At the party he briefed about his impressions of China， praised the achievements China made in its economic construction and spoke glowingly of the prospects of Uganda-China friendly cooperation. He said earnestly to the overseas Chinese present at the party， “In the future， if you have anything needed to be solved， come to see me directly， for I am your kinsman， a ‘Chinese with black skin’ .” After assuming the post of vice president of Uganda， he has played an important role in promoting Uganda-China friendship and cooperation.

The exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese and African local governments is an important link and channel for deepening friendship between the Chinese and African people. Since Changsha of Hunan Province and Brazzaville， capital of the Congo， twinned friendship cities in 1982， 28 Chinese provinces and cities have twinned 69 pairs of friendship provinces and cities with various African countries. Through continuously consolidating and strengthening friendship-city and -province relations between China and Africa， Sino-African friendship has extended to the grass-roots level and entered the households of common people.

By way of promoting nongovernmental relations through governmental channel， the CAPFA makes friends with African government officials to push forward nongovernmental friendship-with China activities. By making friends to promote economic relations， it promotes Sino-African economic and trade cooperation and by conducting cultural exchanges to make friends， it consolidates the basis of Sino-African friendship. The CAPFA is planning to set up the Award for Contributions to China-Africa Friendship in the near future to commend those Chinese who have long been engaged in the work for developing friendly relations with Africa so as to let Sino-African friendship strike root in the hearts of the Chinese people.

The author is vice president of the CPAFFC.