China Gathering African Family In Beijing BEIJING, Oct 8, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) China will assemble 44 African countries for the first China-Africa Cooperation Forum starting Tuesday in Beijing, with the aim of strengthening its image on the international scene as a champion of the developing world. Nearly 80 ministers of foreign and economic affairs are expected for the two-day conference which will be inaugurated by President Jiang Zemin in the colossal Hall of the People, the seat of the Chinese parliament. The forum is "an important step and meaningful initiative taken by the Chinese government to consolidate and strengthen Sino-African friendship and cooperation at the start of the new millennium," Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Tang Jiaxuan said last month. "Africa is waiting for this forum with lots of interest. It will be a chance for each country to discuss its bilateral relations with China, but also tackle some large multilateral questions such as external debt," a West African diplomat told AFP. "Africa is very attached to China which it sees as the leader of developing countries." The meeting is scheduled to adopt a "Beijing declaration" reflecting a Sino-African consensus on larger political questions, including the "new international order," said Liu Guijin, the director of the foreign affairs ministry's Africa department. In Beijing, the term evokes the necessity of wrestling against the influence of the United States and its allies. "Beijing is trying to get more countries on its side in its struggle against U.S. hegemonism," said a Western diplomat. After last year's NATO's offensive against Yugoslavia, which lacked a green light from the United Nations, "China tries to convince everybody that the UN Security Council is the most important thing in the world," he added. Liu has tried to assure that the forum is not "directed at any third party or at Western countries" and has emphasized its economic dimension, which will produce "a cooperation platform between China and Africa on economic and social development." With the forum, Beijing is aiming to create a permanent dialogue to compare various economic reform experiences, without looking to impose its own model, he said. "China does not think its development is a model for Africa," Liu said. Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China has had "a soft spot for Africa," said the Western diplomat, who noted the high cost of the academic grants given every year to African students by Beijing. But trade between the two remains modest, despite a 67 percent rise over the first eight months of this year to USD 6.7 billion. By cultivating African friends, Beijing is looking to score points against Taiwan, whose government is still recognized by eight countries on the continent. For their part, Africans often reproach China for being "all talk and no action," according to the same Western diplomat. "The Africans will be quite happy to agree with Chinese leaders at the forum on theoretical issues, but more will be needed to convince them that China is a genuine friend," he said. In addition to the visiting ministers, four heads of state will be attending: Algeria's Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Tanzania's Benjamin Mkapa, Zambia's Frederick Chiluba, and Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, who is also the current head of the Organization of African Unity. ((c) 2000 Agence France Presse) _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
