Guinea-Bissau Prime Minister Aristides Gomes said on Tuesday that the
upcoming Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will
inject renewed vitality into the cooperation between Africa and China.
In an interview with Xinhua, Gomes said China has scored amazing achievements
since it carried out the policy of reform and opening-up by the end of the
1970s, adding that Africa should learn from China's experience and mode of
development to avoid being marginalized amid globalization.
Gomes made the remarks prior to FOCAC's Beijing summit scheduled for Nov.
3-5, which will be the highest-level and the largest meeting between Chinese and
African leaders, since China and African countries started to forge cooperative
ties in the 1950s.
Some 30 African heads of state or government and their Chinese counterparts
will attend the conference, with aims to blueprint the future of China-Africa
cooperation after 50 years of traditional friendship.
The summit is a good opportunity for Africa to have a deep understanding of
the Chinese government's administrative strategy and Africa policy, as well as
an opportunity for African leaders to discuss the continent's developmental
strategy, Gomes said.
He added that the cooperation between China and Africa has been an active
factor in their bilateral relations.
"Gradually, China will become an investor that has the greatest potential on
the African continent," said the prime minister. "It will help Africa realize
the Millennium Development Goals."
On relations between the two countries, Gomes said China has become a
strategic cooperative partner of Guinea-Bissau, adding that he is looking
forward to the prospects of their cooperation, which will become more active,
efficient, and fruitful.
The bilateral relations have been developing rapidly and their cooperation
has yielded encouraging results since Guinea-Bissau and China resumed diplomatic
ties in 1998, he said.
Gomes said China has provided unselfish assistance to Guinea-Bissau without
any political precondition, so his country does not worry about the cooperation
between the two sides.
Under the new situation, he said, Guinea-Bissau and China should discuss ways
of cooperation in various fields which benefit the two countries, thus bringing
their friendly relations to a new stage.