Vice foreign minister stresses China-Africa cooperation

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun Wednesday stressed more cooperation with member countries of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Africa. Zhai, also the co-chairman of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the FOCAC, said at the 8th Senior Officials meeting of the FOCAC that the forum is closely related to the well-being of two billion people in China and 50 countries in Africa. Zhai noted that the forum has made great achievements, especially in the implementation of the follow-up work after the 4th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC held in Egypt in 2009. "The forum has drawn more attention and investment to Africa, and has become a remarkable landmark of world cooperation with Africa." Zhai said. Egyptian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Mona Omar Attia said that China and Africa have made great efforts to overcome the impact of the international financial crisis. She said that cooperation in various fields, including trade, energy, transportation and health, has fully proved that China-African cooperation principle and spirit is mutually beneficial, equal and efficient, and looks toward common development goals. China and Africa should be more united to face challenges, and that will be conducive to safeguarding the common interests of developing countries, she added. More than 240 people, including senior officials from China and 50 African FOCAC member countries, representatives from the African Union Commission and some African regional organizations, as well as African diplomatic envoys to China, attended the meeting in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang Province. The FOCAC was jointly proposed and established by China and more than 40 African countries in 2000. It consists of meetings at three levels: the ministerial conference; senior officials meeting; negotiations between the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum and the African Diplomatic Mission in Beijing.