First, strengthen solidarity and mutual assistance to jointly meet the challenge of the international financial crisis. We know full well the difficulties we face at home; we are also keenly aware of the difficulties faced by our African friends. On behalf of the Chinese Government, I would like to solemnly undertake that we will earnestly follow through on the various measures announced at the Beijing Summit. We will continue to increase assistance to Africa and cut debts owed by African countries as our ability permits. We will expand trade and investment and strengthen practical cooperation with Africa. We are also willing to increase exchanges and cooperation with African countries to jointly fend off financial risks.

Second, enhance mutual trust and cement the political foundation for traditional friendship. China is ready to have closer high-level exchanges with African countries and strengthen strategic dialogue and consultations with you by taking full advantage of the various consultation mechanisms at different levels so as to enhance mutual understanding and trust between us. China firmly supports the efforts of African countries, the AU and other regional organizations to safeguard state sovereignty and independently resolve African issues. We will continue to be actively involved in UN peacekeeping operations in Africa and play a constructive role in addressing conflicts and hot-spot issues and maintaining peace and security on this continent.

Third, raise the level of practical economic cooperation and trade on the basis of reciprocity and mutual benefit. China will continue to promote trade with Africa, accommodate Africa's concerns as best as it can, and adopt preferential measures to increase imports from Africa. The Chinese Government encourages and supports the efforts of more and more established Chinese companies to invest in Africa, create more jobs for the local people and transfer more technologies to their African partners. We also encourage Chinese companies in Africa to shoulder more social responsibilities and forge amicable relations with the local communities. As for problems that may arise from our cooperation, we want to properly resolve them through consultations with our African friends on an equal footing so as to maintain the larger interests of our friendly cooperation.

Fourth, expand people-to-people exchanges and deepen cultural cooperation. The purpose of growing China-Africa relations is to serve the Chinese and African people, and the fruits of our cooperation should be shared by all our people. We are ready to increase exchanges with African countries in culture, education, health, sports, tourism and other fields. We want to forge closer links between the young people, women, non-governmental groups, media organizations and academic institutions of the two sides, and enhance human resources cooperation. In this way, the China-Africa friendship will take deep root in the hearts of the people.

Fifth, work closely together and strengthen coordination in international affairs. We will intensify cooperation with African countries in the UN, the World Trade Organization and other multilateral institutions and jointly meet such global challenges as climate change, food security, poverty alleviation and development. We also wish to take part in the formulation of international economic, financial and trade rules and build a more equitable and reasonable international economic order together with African countries. China appreciates Africa's desire to increase its representation and say in reforming the international financial system and supports the AU's participation in the G20 financial summit.

Sixth, enhance coordination and jointly promote the further development of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. We are ready to strengthen institutional building of the forum and bring into full play its role of giving political guidance to overall China-Africa relations. We will continue to have full coordination with African countries to comprehensively implement all follow-up actions of the Beijing Summit. We will work with African countries to make good preparations for the Fourth Ministerial Conference to be held in Egypt in the fourth quarter this year and ensure its success.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

The year 2008 marked the 30th anniversary of China's reform and opening up program. Over the past 30 years, China has successfully realized a historic transformation from a highly centralized planned economy to a vibrant socialist market economy, and from a closed or semi-closed society to one that fully embraces the world. China has achieved sustained and rapid economic growth, marked progress in social development programs and moderate prosperity for its people as a whole. China is a big developing country with a population of 1.3 billion. What it has achieved in the reform and opening up endeavor is in itself a significant contribution to world peace and development. We are keenly aware, however, that China remains the biggest developing country in the world. A huge population, weak economic foundation and uneven development are the basic features of the country. The problems and difficulties that we encounter in the course of development are rarely seen elsewhere in terms of their scale and complexity. To build a well-off society in an all-round way and at a higher level that benefits the over 1 billion population, to basically achieve modernization of the country and to ensure common prosperity for all the Chinese people, we still have a very long way to go and we still need to make persistent and unyielding efforts.

Since last year, due to the impact of the international financial crisis and the notable slowdown of the world economy, China has encountered more difficulties in economic development. In the face of the situation, we strengthened macroeconomic regulation and swiftly adjusted our policies. Our primary task now is to maintain steady and relatively fast economic growth and to this end, we have rolled out an array of policy measures to boost domestic demand and promote economic growth. This will not only give strong impetus to China's economic development but also stimulate world economic growth. We will continue to take effective measures to ensure the steady and relatively fast growth of our own economy and play a constructive role in promoting the stability and development of the world economy.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

Today, I see many young faces here. Earlier in my career, I was engaged in youth affairs for many years and I always feel a special bond with young people. Both President Kikwete and I highly value the youth exchanges and cooperation between China and Tanzania and between China and Africa as a whole. The China-Africa friendship that we enjoy today is the result of the concerted efforts of people of several generations from both sides. The future of this friendship will be in the hands of our young people. People of the younger generation embody not only the hope of greater development of China and Africa, but also the promise of even stronger friendship between the two sides in the future.

The past few years have seen closer youth exchanges between China and Africa. More and more African young people are eager to learn about China and go to China. More than 20,000 young people from Africa have so far studied in China on Chinese Government scholarships. Many of them have become pillars in the development of African countries. Many young Chinese have also come to Africa. Working in local communities day in and day out, they have gone through thick and thin together with the people there and contributed their share to economic and social progress in Africa. They have become young ambassadors for China-Africa friendship. During my visit to Africa in 2007, I invited 500 young people from Africa to visit China. Their visits helped enhance mutual understanding and friendship between young people in China and Africa, including those in Tanzania. Today, I am pleased to announce that the Chinese Government has decided to invite 50 students from Tanzania to visit China within this year and have exchanges with their Chinese counterparts. We will continue to work with African countries to vigorously promote and support exchanges and cooperation between our young people. The younger generation will surely exceed the older one. I am convinced that China-Africa friendship and cooperation will be passed on to the younger generation, and through their hands to future generations, and will grow from strength to strength.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

To strengthen friendship and cooperation between China and Africa is a noble mission that history has entrusted to us. Let us join hands to build on our past achievements, work tirelessly to advance the new China-Africa strategic partnership and write a new chapter in the annals of China-Africa friendship!

Thank you.

(Source: www.fmprc.gov.cn)