SIS Chairman

 

 The last fifties years provided evidence of the solid base on which the African-Sino relations are standing. Notably, Egypt was the first Arab-African developing and independent country to officially recognize the People's Republic of China in 1956 during the High Dam supply process.

 

In the eve of 1960s, then Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai  chose Cairo to be as the starting point to visit a number of African countries that gave considerations of holding official relations with Beijing.

 

Chinese official relations with African countries were represented in providing support to them to attain their independence. And, the Chinese employing of various foreign policy tools, stepping from diplomacy to economic, scientific and technological cooperation.

 

On the other side, African countries played their role and paid great support for china when they voted for its membership in the UN in 1971.

 

With the start out of the African-Chinese forum established in the year 2000, the African-Sino relations were invigorated, as this forum was taken as an active mechanism and an institutional framework for the massive dialogue, partnership and cooperation between China and Africa.

 

The 2nd ministerial conference was held in Addis Ababa in 2003 and the 3rd ministerial conference was held in Beijing in 2006.

 

On the 50th anniversary of the African-Chinese relations, an African-Sino summit held on November 6-7, 2006 during President Mubarak's visit to China in fulfillment to the invitation by the Chinese President Hu Jintao. This summit's motto of "Friendship, Peace, Cooperation and Development" summarizes the joint targets between Africa and China.

 

This summit and its would to be practical results represents a significant diversion to the African-Sino relations upon which a reinforcement process to the friendship and cooperation relations between the two sides stands.

 

This is to achieve a better future of prevailing peace, development and cooperation for the African-Chinese peoples.