(TALKZIMBABWE) Mugabe hails strategic cooperation with China

Mugabe hails strategic cooperation with China
Our reporter
Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:44:00 +0000

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe praised "strategic co-operation" between China and Africa Sunday, saying it represented the culmination of the friendship between the two sides.

China has fulfilled the commitments made in the action plan announced by Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC) in 2006 to support the strategic relationship with Africa, said President Mugabe at the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the FOCAC held in Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The president stressed his confidence that China has the ability to commit to the implementation of the new plan announced by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the opening session of the weekend's meeting.

He also praised China's growth as a model.

"Over the past 60 years, China has achieved phenomenal economic growth and development, purely from its own efforts without having to resort to the colonization and economic plunder of other nations," he said. "Its economic miracle is indeed a source of pride and inspiration to all of us."

A number of countries in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) region have achieved significant progress in their trade exchanges with China, mainly due to the Chinese measures to increase the number of exported items receiving duty-free entry into their market, he said.

"China has established several trade and economic co-operation zones in a number of African countries and I think there is still much to be done to further deepen and broaden these economic relations," said President Mugabe.

"We welcome additional investments from Chinese companies to raise Africa's productive capacity," added President Mugabe

"I would also like to applaud the progress that has been achieved through the doubling of assistance to Africa in the infrastructure projects."

The 4th Ministerial Meeting of the FOCAC opened Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on Sunday morning.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and African heads of state or government from 49 countries attended the opening ceremony.

The conference, with the theme of "deepening the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership for sustainable development," will end today.

The main agenda of the meeting is to review the implementation of the follow-up activities of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and the 3rd Ministerial Meeting and explore new initiatives and measures on the way toward Sino-African cooperation in such areas of priority as human resources development, agriculture, infrastructure development, investment and trade.

Chinese premier pledges funds, aid to Africa

Meanwhile, China's premier pledged $10 billion in new low interest loans to African nations over three years, offering the continent sorely needed cash.

Wen also dismissed criticism that Beijing's motives in Africa are far from altruistic.

His promise at the start of the summit was warmly received by African leaders and officials.

"The Chinese people cherish sincere friendship toward the African people, and China's support to Africa's development is concrete and real."

Wen said China wants to help Africa build its financing capacity and would provide $10 billion in concessional loans — ones with generous terms.

As part of an eight-point plan, he said China would also forgive government debts of the poorest African nations that have relations with Beijing and would build 100 new clean energy projects for the continent.

It would also gradually institute a zero-tariff policy on 95 percent of goods from some of the poorest countries. All this would take place over three years.

The latest offer marks a doubling of the $5 billion loan pledge China made in 2006 to African nations — a promise that Beijing and most at the summit said China has upheld.

Over the past eight years, trade between China and Africa has surged tenfold to almost $107 billion by the end of 2008, and Wen said despite the financial crisis, Chinese investments in Africa were up 77 percent in the first three quarters of 2009.

The Chinese premier said he took issue with claims that "China has come to Africa to plunder its resources and practice neocolonialism."

"This allegation, in my view, is totally untenable," Wen told reporters. "Any person who is familiar with China-Africa interaction knows that relations between the two sides did not begin yesterday."

China has been active in Africa for decades, working on infrastructure projects and supporting African nations in their fight against colonial powers in the early 1950s and 60s. He said that at that time, China did not take a "single drop of oil or a single ton of minerals."

Wen said China's imports of African mineral resources and energy account for only 13 percent of the continent's total exports and its investments in Africa's oil and gas sector were only one-sixteenth of the total investments in the continent.

"So, why do some people only criticize China?" Wen asked.

"Whatever change that may take place in the world, our friendship with African people will not change," Wen said. "Our commitment to deepening mutually beneficial cooperation ... will not change, and our policy of supporting Africa's economic and social development will not change."

Earlier, the Chinese premier invited others in the international community to step up and do their part to support Africa. The comments appeared to be a subtle nudge at Western nations with a checkered colonial past on the continent.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the summit's host, said participants should seize the opportunity to press developed nations, "given their responsibility in the financial and economic crisis," to live up to their obligations in helping developing nations cope with the fallout.