African and Chinese officials representing their respective friendship organizations and governments have reaffirmed the significance of the two sides working toward a shared future.

In remarks at the China-Africa Friendship organization leaders' meeting in Beijing on Nov 14, Chinese and African stakeholders called for deepening cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative to foster connectivity and mutual benefits for their peoples.

Abdul'ahat Abdurixit, president of the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association, re-emphasized the Chinese government's commitment to building a new type of international relationship for a community of shared benefits.

He said the friendship between China and Africa sticks to the principles of affinity, good results and good faith for their peoples.

"China always relates our future to the future of Africans' destiny," Abdurixit said during opening remarks at the one-day event.

The gathering, organized by the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, had the theme "New opportunities for the Belt and Road and Africa-China Cooperation".

Stressing the significance of the Belt and Road Initiative, Abdurixit said it promotes new cooperation, inspires win-win cooperation for economic development and combines China's and Africa's dreams so that their respective peoples can live better lives.

The world's second-largest economy says it wants to share its development experience and innovation with the rest of the world by collaboratively improving connectivity and people-to-people exchanges for a shared future.

"I believe that our African friends believe that when we go together, we can go farther," Abdurixit said of the prospects of working with African countries to deepen cooperation.

Victor Sikonina, Madagascar's ambassador to China and dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in China, said the success of last month's 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will "undoubtedly play an important role in the development of Africa and ensure common prosperity of the two sides".

Sikonina said African countries can play an important role in Belt and Road and should not be viewed as "second-class partners".

Da Bing, director-general of the Department of African Affairs at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also re-emphasized President Xi Jinping's commitment to partnership by "seeking opportunities that are complementary to building a destiny of shared interest".

Da said that for China's and Africa's dreams to be realized, further enhancement of the partnership is vital, adding, "China is willing to open new platforms to advance cooperation."

According to Da, there are already more than 3,000 Chinese companies operating on the African continent, 2,000 Chinese projects in African countries, more than 500,000 visits each year by Chinese tourists and 60,000 Africans studying in China.

These facts demonstrate that cooperation by the two sides is deepening and that sharing experiences in social governance is important to achieve development for the improvement of people's livelihoods.

Kgosi Puso Gaborone, president of the Botswana-China Friendship Association, described the gathering as a "great opportunity" to unite, collaborate, exchange ideas and share experiences to enhance mutual understanding, as well as to promote peace, people-to-people friendship and deepening of ties between China and Africa.

Friendship has been the "bedrock" of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, he said, emphasizing that "people-to-people friendship is the foundation" of flourishing diplomatic ties.

"It is very important for nongovernmental organizations here in China and in Africa to make contributions toward promoting friendship between China and Africa, especially at the grassroots level," said Gaborone, whose association was established in February 2009 to promote friendship between the Chinese community in Botswana and local people.

He expressed confidence that the cooperation between China and Africa would enter a "new phase", while saying the Belt and Road Initiative offers a "golden opportunity" for sustainable economic growth of the continent.

For China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/17/2017 page3)