Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished Guests from International and Regional Organizations,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,

First of all, on behalf of the Chinese Government and in the name of the Chinese Government Delegation and myself, I would like to extend our most sincere and warmest welcome to all the representatives from African countries, guests of honor from international or regional organizations and friends from the business community and the media who have come for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation-Ministerial Meeting Beijing 2000. Today, we gather here in Beijing to discuss the important issue of how to enhance cooperation. This is not only a major event unprecedented in the history of Chin-Africa relations, but is also of important significance to the development of this relationship in the new century. We feel it a great honor to host this Forum at the turn of the century. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to friendly countries in Africa for their vigorous support to and active participation in the Forum.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is convened on the eve of the new millenium when profound and complicated changes are taking place in the world. The international situation is on the whole moving towards relaxation, and the trend towards multi-polarization is developing by twists and turns. Science and technology are advancing with each passing day. The knowledge economy is blossoming and economic globalization is visibly picking up its speed.

With their concerted efforts, the world's people can expect to see a culturally advanced, progressive and promising society in the future.

However, the world is by no means a place for songs and dances only. Peace-threatening and development-hampering factors continue to exist. Interference in the internal affairs of other countries, particularly developing countries, has occurred from time to time. Local conflicts caused by ethnic, religious and territorial differences or disputes have increased somewhat. Fundamentally speaking, the old international economic order remains unchanged. Globalization has failed to benefit all. And the gap between the North and the South has widened further.

All these present both opportunities and challenges to the vast member of developing countries, including China and African countries. To strengthen solidarity, promote cooperation, minimize the disadvantages, and rise up to the challenges represent a course that developing countries must opt for in their pursuit of development in the new century. Developing countries have staunchly upheld in the UN the principle of the sanctity and inviolability of state sovereignty and issued at the South Summit held in Cuba a strong call for North-South equality. And African countries are making vigorous efforts to shape an African Union. All this clearly demonstrates that we developing countries have always been a positive factor for world peace and human progress. We can get ourselves out of the disadvantageous position only by relying on our own efforts. As long as we strengthen unity and cooperation, we will be able to promote the establishment of a just and equitable new international political and economic order at an earlier date.

China and Africa are important components of the developing world. In the friendly exchanges between us over the past half-century and more since the founding of the People's Republic of China, we have always sympathized with and supported each other. The Government and people of China will never forget the valuable support that friendly nations in Africa gave us for the Restoration of the lawful seat of China in the UN and on many other international occasions. We will forever remember the monumental contributions that leaders of the older generation in both China and Africa have made to the establishment and consolidation of the China Africa friendship.

How to upgrade China-Africa relations and more effectively address new problems and challenges in the context of the developing and changing international situation? This is an issue that both China and African countries are pondering upon seriously. Some African countries have proposed that China and Africa should open up channels for group dialogue and cooperation in the light of the new situation and increase consultations and exchanges on matters related to peace and development, which are of interest to us all. We believe this to be a very useful suggestion. China and Africa enjoy a profound traditional friendship. We have no conflict of fundamental interests. Rather, we share extensive common interests in safeguarding peace and promoting development. All this has made it possible and necessary to explore new ideas and put in place a new framework for the development of China-Africa relations in the new century. To this end, the Chinese Government came forward with the initiative of holding a Forum on China-Africa Cooperation-Ministerial Meeting Beijing 2000. Much to our joy, African countries promptly and positively responded to the initiative. No doubt, the convocation of this Forum reflects the common will of the two sides and is also an important manifestation of the solidarity and cooperation among developing countries.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have identified two issues as the major agenda items of the Forum. One is how to promote the establishment of a just and equitable new international political and economic order at the threshold of the 21st century in the interest of safeguarding the common interests of developing countries. The other is how to further China-Africa cooperation in the economic, trade and other substantive areas in the new circumstances. These two issues bear directly upon peace and development, which are the main themes of the times. Furthermore, they are inherently interrelated.

We maintain that the new international political and economic order should reflect the common aspirations of the world's people and should conform to the world trend of peace and development. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the OAU Charter, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and other universally recognized norms governing international relations, particularly the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference in other countries' internal affairs and peaceful resolution of international disputes, are still valid today and should continue to be followed and upheld. The international economic system should be reformed in such a manner as to accommodate the needs of developing countries, reflect their interests as much as possible and promote common development of all nations.

We are convinced that if we China and Africa establish a new-type partnership between us within the framework of South-South cooperation and deepen and expand our cooperation in all areas in accordance with the principles of equality and mutual benefit, diversity in form, stress on practical results and pursuit of common development, we will be able to contribute positively to the establishment of a new international political and economic order.

The Chinese Government intends to announce at this Forum a number of specific measures for promoting substantive cooperation with Africa. They include the setting-up of special funds to facilitate Chinese enterprises' investment and development in Africa; the principle of giving preference to African products when other things being equal to help expand their export to China and increase their foreign exchange earnings; reduction or exemption of parts of the debts owed by African countries to China to help support their sustainable development; and the setting-up of an African human resources development fund to train more professionals for the economic development of Africa. Although these measures might not be sufficient to meet the needs of African countries, they represent mutual help among developing countries and give expression to the sincere desire on the part of China to strengthen its mutually beneficial cooperation with African countries on the basis of equality for the benefit of common development.

The above-mentioned positions and views that we share have been included in the two documents to be issued by this Forum, namely, the Beijing Declaration and the Program for China-Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social Development. I am confident that these two documents will be adopted without any difficulties and will serve as a guide for the development of China-Africa cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit in the new century.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is for a bilateral group dialogue and of a multilateral nature between China and friendly countries in Africa. To solicit views from all quarters as much as possible and reflect the shared interests of both China and African countries, China as the host has all along followed the principle of democracy and openness in making preparations for the Forum and has consulted African countries on the basis of equality in various forms and through many channels. In this process, leaders and ministers have exchanged views mainly on matters of principle through their mutual visits, while envoys of African countries in China have kept in close touch with the Chinese Preparatory Committee. The active involvement of African countries has played a constructive role in the successful opening of the Forum.

China-Africa cooperation is a long-term and strategic one. The Chinese side attaches high importance to the follow-up actions of the Forum. We are thinking of retaining the Preparatory Committee and changing its name to the Committee for Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. We hope that the African countries will set up a corresponding mechanism. We China and African countries may convene another senior officials meeting in two years' time to review and examine the progress to be made in the implementation of the two documents and decide on the specific time and venue for the next Forum.

In conclusion, I would like to sincerely wish the Forum a complete success and wish all of you a pleasant stay in China.

Thank you.