During talks with Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba in Windhoek yesterday, President Hu Jintao proposed a range of measures allowing bilateral relations to be strengthened. These measures include boosting cooperation in politics, economy and international affairs whilst increasing personnel exchanges.

Hu, having arrived from Zambia for a state visit, made a four-point proposal on promoting bilateral ties. The four points are as follows:

- Enhance political exchanges and ameliorate political mutual trust. The leaders of both countries will maintain the frequent momentum of visits aiding in the free flow of ideas on bilateral ties and major issues of common concern.

- Expand economic and trade ties toward a mutually beneficial outcome. China will foster competent domestic investment in Namibia whilst exploring further cooperation with Namibian counterparts in infrastructure, agriculture and other sectors. China will also adjust its foreign trade structure to eventually find a balance in trade with Namibia.

- Increase personnel contacts and promote bilateral cooperation in education, public health, culture and tourism. China has decided to provide assistance to Namibia in building schools and hospitals in rural areas. It will also increase government-funded scholarships for Namibian students and train more professionals for the Southern African country.

- Continue to support each other in international affairs through close cooperation and coordination. The two sides continue to maintain close cooperation in the UN and other multilateral organizations in order to safeguard the common interests of the developing countries.

Namibia was the last African country to gain independence after the fall of the Western empires in Africa. China and Namibia established diplomatic ties on March 22, 1990, two days after Namibia gained its independence.

In response to Hu's proposal, Pohamba thanked China for its support during Namibia's struggle toward national independence and subsequent economic and social development.

For his part, Pohamba said that Hu's visit to Namibia occurred three months following the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), demonstrating the importance China attaches to its ties with Namibia and its efforts to fulfill its promises made at the summit.

He agreed with Hu's suggestions and specified that Namibia hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in trade, investment, energy, mining, fishery, agriculture, infrastructure, communication and telecommunication.

Pohamba reiterated Namibia's firm adherence to the one-China policy and its support for China's efforts to achieve national reunification.

During their meeting, the two leaders discussed the situation in Africa.

Hu said that Africa, particularly Southern Africa, has enjoyed relative peace and stability in recent years, going hand-in-hand with a steadily improving economic state.

African countries and regional organizations have endeavored to preserve the hard-earned improvements and have pressed unabated for improved regional political and economic integration toward a long-term stability and sustained development, he said.

Hu voiced China's support for all efforts striving for Africa's rejuvenation.

China is willing to enhance cooperation with African countries within the FOCAC framework in line with the traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Africa, he said.

After the talks, Hu and Pohamba witnessed the signing of five documents on bilateral cooperation in economy and technology, human resources training, education and tourism.

Namibia is the fifth leg of Hu's eight-nation tour of Africa that has already taken him to Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan and Zambia. He will leave Windhoek for South Africa today, from where he will travel on to Mozambique and the Seychelles.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2007)