It has been more than half a century since the friendship between New China and African countries was forged. In the past decades, the peoples and governments of China and Africa have supported each other in their various endeavors, particularly in their common struggle for national independence, state sovereignty and economic development.

During the past 50 years, China has attached great importance to economic cooperation with African countries. During that period, the Chinese Government has provided material and financial assistance, encouraged Chinese enterprises to engage in trade and set up factories in Africa, and improved cooperation in the areas of education and medicine, as well as cultural exchange and the promotion of people-to-people exchange. Such comprehensive cooperation was made possible with the frequent exchanges of visits between Chinese and African leaders.

Over this period, China-Africa cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and other fields has developed steadily and the friendship between the Chinese and African peoples has grown deeper despite the vicissitudes of international affairs. As the 21st century was ushered in along with new situations in the international arena, it became appropriate to forge new ways of strengthening China-Africa cooperation to bring it to a new level. In light of this, the China-Africa Cooperation Forum was launched in 2000.

In October 2000, the first ministerial conference of the forum was convened in Beijing. This occasion was a significant watershed in the history of fraternal relations between China and Africa. This forum has established a framework that has afforded both China and Africa the opportunity to nurture and deepen their cooperation.

The forum in effect put in place a joint mechanism to further China-Africa friendship, solidarity and cooperation. The forum assured Africans of China's solidarity in their struggle with the challenges of economic development or what we call the second phase of liberation.

Ethiopia was honored to host the Second China-Africa Ministerial Conference in its capital, Addis Ababa, in December 2003. The meeting was unique in that it also brought together a large number of Chinese and African business people to meet concurrently as part of the process. In retrospect, this was a significant activity as the involvement of the business sector is one of the most important pillars for realizing the forum's objectives.

It is expected that the next ministerial conference will be even more significant as the first China-Africa Heads of State/Government Summit will be held in Beijing. This summit is expected to be a historic meeting in the annals of China-Africa relations in that the Chinese and African leaders will meet to renew their friendship, discuss ways to promote cooperation and development and plan for the future. The event is also significant in that it is being held in the same year that China issued its African Policy Paper, which outlines ways of forging a new type of strategic partnership with Africa, featuring political equality and mutual interest, economic cooperation and cultural exchange.

It is a platitude to state that Ethiopia and China enjoy longstanding cordial diplomatic relations. The two countries celebrated their 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on November 24, 2005. Over the past three decades, the cooperation between the two countries has gradually strengthened to encompass several fields. After the change of government in Ethiopia in 1991, the country's relations with China have been strengthened to an even higher level.

Government officials, experts and the business communities of the two countries exchange visits frequently, cementing the cooperation and friendship of the two sides. In recent years, the relations between the two countries have deepened to encompass all-around cooperation in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres.

To Africans, China is a beacon of hope. China presents a recipe for a successful and remarkable development in just a couple of decades. Africans therefore believe that we can learn from China's experience, as it is relevant to Africa's present conditions. We believe Africa needs genuine partnerships with countries like China in order to bring about sustainable economic development on our continent.

In the past 50 years, relations between China and Africa have remained vibrant and strong because we have treated each other as equals and with sincerity and cooperated for mutual benefit and common development. We have managed to build ties that are marked by a great deal of mutual confidence and trust. Nonetheless, it is only when the two sides are bound by strong economic cooperation that we can secure the strength and durability of these ties. In today's globalized world, economic cooperation is at the heart of relations between countries. It is therefore, in my view, crucial to make economic ties the central elements in relations between China and Africa.

Both China and Africa face new opportunities for development as well as challenges. Both sides need to develop a partnership that exploits opportunities and offers lasting solutions to challenges to forge a dynamic relationship that is enduring and appropriate to the new era. With the encouraging commitment of the Chinese Government to fostering a new type of strategic partnership with Africa, I can only look forward to the bright and promising China-Africa relations ahead.

The author is Ethiopia's ambassador to China and the country's special envoy to the China-Africa Cooperation Forum