Ｂｒｉｇｈｔ Ｆｕｔｕｒｅ Ａｈｅａｄ ｉｎ Ｃｈｉｎａ－Ａｆｒｉｃａ Ｒｅｌａｔｉｏｎｓ ｏｆ Ｃｏｏｐｅｒａｔｉｏｎ

It has been half a century and more since the friendship between the New China and African countries was forged.This friendship has stood the test of time and can be considered as an exemplary model of contemporary friendly relations between developing countries.

Beginning from the 1950s， the Chinese people who had liberated themselves from imperialist aggression showed deep sympathy for the African people in their dauntless struggle for national independence.African people and governments have also supported the People's Republic of China in its pursuit to restore its rightful seat in the United Nations.Ever since， both sides have supported and cooperated with each other on important regional and global issues at the UN and other international fora in upholding the common interests of developing countries.

During the past 50 years， China has attached great importance to economic cooperation with African countries which has been characterized among others by sincerity， equality， common development and mutual benefit.During these years， the Government of China has unstintingly provided material and financial assistance， has encouraged Chinese enterprises to engage in trade and set up factories in Africa， speeded up exchanges of cooperation in the areas of education and medical fields as well as cultural exchanges and promotion of people to people friendship.Such an all-rounded cooperation between the two sides was made possible， no doubt， by the frequent exchange of visits of leaders of China and African countries. Chinese cooperation with African countries both in the economic and political areas has always been free of conditionalities and Chinese assistance has been， and continues to be made， available with no strings attached.

As the 21st century was ushered in along with new situations in the international arena， it became appropriate to forge new ways of strengthening the China-Africa cooperation to bring it into a new height.

In October of 2000， the First Ministerial Conference of the Forum was convened in Beijing.This occasion was a significant watershed in the history of the fraternal relations between China and Africa.This Forum has established a framework which has afforded both China and Africa the opportunity to nurture and deepen our cooperation.Accordingly， the Forum adopted two important documents: The Beijing Declaration and the Programme for China-Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social Development which became guideposts for enhancing China-Africa Cooperation.

In accordance with the Procedure for the follow up Mechanism of the Forum which stated that “Ministerial Conferences and Senior Official Meetings shall be held alternately in China and Africa”， Ethiopia was selected to host the Second Ministerial Conference in its capital， Addis Ababa， in December 2003.The Conference reviewed the status of cooperation between the two sides and adopted the Addis Ababa Action Plan to further strengthen the cooperation between China and Africa.The 2nd Ministerial Conference on China-Africa Cooperation was unique in that it also brought together a large number of Chinese and African business people to meet concurrently as part of the process.In retrospect， this was a significant activity as the involvement of the business sector is one of the most important pillars on which the realization of the Forum's objectives rest.

I am happy to note that since the Second Ministerial Conference， important progress has been made in strengthening the cooperation existing between China and Africa.The steps taken by the Chinese Government， for instance， concerning preferential treatment for products of 26 Least Developed African Countries to have access to China’s market has made a positive contribution in further strengthening China-Africa trade cooperation and in making the terms of trade between the two sides favourable to Africa too.Recent reports indicate that the annual trade volume between the two sides has reached the 40 billion US Dollar mark in 2005.In the area of investment the total Chinese Foreign Direct Investment to Africa has surpassed over 1 billion USD.Currently， over 800 Chinese enterprises have investments in 49 African countries.

In sum， I can attest that the Addis Ababa Action Plan constitutes an important leap forward towards a more effective implementation of the principles embodied in the Beijing Declaration and the Programme for China-Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social Development.

I expect that the upcoming third Ministerial Conference will come up with even better strategic document to enhance the China-Africa cooperation.It is expected that the next Ministerial Conference will be even more significant as the first China-Africa Heads of State/Government Summit will also be held here in Beijing.The Beijing Summit is expected to be a historic meeting in the annals of China-Africa relations in that Chinese and African leaders will meet in Beijing to renew friendship， discuss ways to promote cooperation and development and plan for the future.

I would like to stress that China has been an all-weather friend to Ethiopia as our relations testify.To us Africans， China is a beacon of hope. Africans， therefore， believe we could learn from China's experience as it is relevant to Africa's present day conditions.We believe Africa needs genuine partnerships from countries like China in order to bring about sustainable economic development to our continent.

(Abridged due to limited space)

The author is special envoy of Ethiopia to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and Ethiopian ambassador to China.