Extracts. Chinese Researcher: Sino-African Cooperation to Rise to New High Cooperation between China and Africa is likely to reach higher levels in the next century, with the two sides having established a solid foundation in various areas during the past decades. Yang Lihua, a senior Chinese researcher from the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies (IWAAS) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that she is quite optimistic about the future of Sino-African ties. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Yang noted that this year marks an important step in the relations between China and Africa, saying that many activities will take place to push forward the relationship, especially "the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation -- Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000". Yang said that her optimism is based on the deep-rooted traditional friendship between China and countries in the African continent. Contact between China and African countries can be traced back to the 10th century BC., Yang noted, adding that it was at this time that China and Egypt began trading. Around the 2nd century BC., China and Egypt set up official relations by sending envoys to each other, according to Yang, who is also the deputy director of the IWAAS. Afterwards, China and Africa began to communicate through the landway, starting from the west of China to west Asia and all the way to north Africa, she said. The great west sailing by Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) served as an important impetus to marine trade between China and east-African countries, the Chinese expert said, adding that it also facilitated the increase of cultural exchange between the two sides. The advanced culture of Egypt was transmitted to China and China's great four inventions were spread to Egypt and then to north Africa and Europe, Yang noted, saying that the cultural exchange promoted cultural mingling among Asia, Africa and Europe. Regarding the first phase in Sino-African relations, Yang said that "although China was a big power at that time in the world, the contacts and exchanges between China and Africa were equal, peaceful, and friendly." When western colonists began to invade Asia and Africa in the 15th century, the political, economic, and cultural contacts between China and African countries were seriously affected, Yang noted. The sea-route from the Indian Ocean through the Mediterranean to Africa was seized and monopolized by Western powers, and as a result, the official relationship between China and Africa was suspended, she said. The friendly contacts between China and Africa in early stages enhanced mutual understanding and friendship and laid a solid foundation for the development of bilateral ties later on, Yang commented. Sino-African relations began its all-round development after the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded in 1949. The PRC carries out an independent foreign policy of peace. Cooperation between China and Africa continued to expand with the process of the independence and national liberation of the African countries, Yang said. The two sides supported each other politically and joined hands in opposing imperialism and colonists, she noted, adding that China offered help to newly-independent African countries. When China started its reform and opening up policy over twenty years ago, African countries also experienced 20 or 30 years of development after their independence, and both sides began to put more emphasis on economic development. Both China and African countries hope to further strengthen mutually-beneficial economic cooperation and raise economic and trade relations to a higher position in bilateral relations, the Chinese expert said. The new international situation also prompted China and African countries to enhance their cooperation within the South-South cooperation framework. Both sides also need to strengthen cooperation in establishing a just and reasonable new international, political and economic order, she noted. The two sides have a lot in common concerning the new order and the consensus served as an important basis for the furthering of Sino-African relations, Yang said. African countries proposed to cut or dismiss their debts to developed countries, to incorporate development into globalization, to have increased market share in developed countries and to change the unequal and unreasonable trade conditions, all of which are supported by China. African countries also expect China, the biggest developing country and a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, to uphold justice and speak out for developing countries. They also expect to strengthen consultations with China in order to raise the position of the developing countries as a whole in international affairs. Yang said that she is confident that China and African countries will continue to strengthen political consultations, enhance economic contacts and expand exchange in culture, education, science and technology in the new century. Conference Highlights China's Reunification The delegation of the European China Peaceful Reunion Promotion Conference held a meeting Tuesday with members of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification (CCPPR) and some government officials to discuss matters of China's reunification. The members of the delegation are overseas Chinese who came from over 20 European countries to attend the National Day celebrations at the invitation of the CCPPR. Tomas E. Tiu, chairman of the conference, said that the members, after a week-long visit in Beijing, share the opinion that China is becoming stronger and is enjoying a higher international status. According to the members, separatists who intend to split Taiwan from the motherland will never have their intrigue fulfilled, because it is a common wish of all overseas Chinese that the country is reunified. They said they will not cease their endeavor for the promotion of China's reunification around the world until the cause is consummated. At the meeting, principals of the conference's branches in more than 20 European countries expressed their confidence in China's future, saying that overseas Chinese will work incessantly to call for China's reunification until the Taiwan issue is finally settled. Wan Guoquan and Zhang Kehui, both vice-chairmen of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and CCPPR chairmen, and officials from the Taiwan Affairs Office and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits listened to the members' opinions and suggestions at the meeting. Heads of overseas Chinese societies from 35 countries convened today in another meeting sponsored by the China Zhi Gong Party to exchange their ideas on the promotion of China's reunification. Yu Yunpo, vice-chairman of the Zhi Gong Party, said that overseas Chinese have been a powerful force in promoting China's reunification. Many overseas Chinese also have close ties with Taiwan and are able to play a big role in opening more channels for exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. He also extended his wish that more overseas Chinese will help the economic development in the motherland Egypt, Syria Call for Arab Summit on Palestinian-Israeli Clashes Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday called for an emergency Arab summit to deal with the Palestinian-Israeli bloody clashes. Arab leaders should "meet as soon as possible" to discuss the situation in the Palestinian territories to seek a common stance, Mubarak said at a joint press conference in Cairo with Assad. Assad said that he agreed with Mubarak on the need for such a summit. Assad arrived here Sunday on his first foreign trip since assuming office in July. He held two rounds of talks with Mubarak Sunday and Monday. The 35-year-old Syrian president, meanwhile, urged Arab countries to join efforts for an end to the 10-year international sanctions on Iraq. The sanctions, imposed by the United Nations Security Council after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, will soon result in the destruction of the country, Assad said. Arab countries "must work together for the lifting" of the embargo, he told the press conference. China Voices Concern Over Israel-Palestine Clashes China Monday voiced its deep concern over the clashes between Israel and Palestine, calling on both sides to take immediate measures to prevent the situation from further deteriorating. On September 28, leader of the Israeli opposition party paid a visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the holy city of Jerusalem, invoking bloodshed between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers and causing both deaths and casualties. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said Monday that the negotiations between Israel and Palestine on a number of sensitive issues including the status of Jerusalem are underway and the peace talks are at a critical period. China hopes that both sides would stop all remarks and activities detrimental to the peace talks and expedite negotiations so as to settle the Palestine issue as early as possible, he said. _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
