Africa wants to engage with China as it becomes increasingly influential in
the world, Ghanaian President John Kufuor said here on Wednesday.
Africa is determined to seek partners who can help implement the New
Partnership of Africa Development (NEPAD), an ambitious
blueprint for Africa's future development and self reliance after decades of
post-independence construction.
"China is looming as a world economic power and naturally. Africa wants to
engage with China," Kufuor said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
Although rich in natural resources, Africa has long lagged far behind the
global development. Traditional friendship and newly-formed economic ties
between China and Africa could help bring investment and technology into the
continent, Kufuor said.
His comments came ahead of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation (FOCAC) due to be held from Nov. 3-5.
The conference, to be attended by some 30 African heads of state or
government including Kufuor, will be the highest-level and largest-scale meeting
between Chinese and African leaders since China and African countries started to
forge cooperative ties in the 1950s.
The year of 2006 has been described as China's "Year of Africa" as several
important events concerning China-Africa relations fall in this year.
China released the African Policy at the beginning of this year, putting
forward its proposals for all-round cooperation with Africa in various fields in
the coming years.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao visited 10 African
countries, including Ghana, in April and June this year respectively.
"I think the description is correct," Kufuor said. "In the past one or two
years China has made very significant move to Africa ..and China-Africa
relationship is being lifted to all-high level of cooperation."
Chinese and African officials have expressed the desire of developing
cooperation economically, culturally and politically. "I know African leaders
are going to China to negotiate for more cooperation," he said.
