Ghanaian President John Kufuor said on Wednesday that he
expected that as leaders from some 40 African countries converge in
Beijing with Chinese leaders early next month, they will discuss
how to explore tremendous business opportunities for mutual
benefits.
They will focus on key issues including trade, technology
transfer and investment during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on
China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from Nov. 3-5, Kufuor said in an
exclusive interview with Xinhua.
"It (The conference) will be very significant because .. we will
talk openly and frankly to each other, with a view to explore
better chances of getting benefits both on the African side and on
the Chinese side," said Kufuor, who will attend the summit, the
highest-level and largest-scale meeting between Chinese and African
leaders since China and African countries started to forge
cooperative ties in the 1950s.
He said trade would be a big issue during the conference because
the World Trade Organization (WTO) talks had not been advanced in
protecting economic development and benefits of developing
countries.
With China emerging as a world economic power, African countries
"definitely" want to explore China-Africa trade possibilities,
Kufuor said.
"China should buy from Africa and Africa should buy from China
..I'm talking about the win-win," he said.
Kufuor said the conference in Beijing would also look at the
transfer of technology and expertise that are urgently needed by
African countries for social and economic development.
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"We want Chinese people not only come to (Africa to) trade, but
also bring know-how technology, as well as capital, to share with
us on the win-win base," he said while mentioning rapid growth of
bilateral trade between the two countries.
Official statistics of Ghana showed that Chinese businesses have
invested in the west African nation's manufacturing, service
industry, tourism, construction and agriculture sectors by March
2006, ranking the eighth among foreign investors in Ghana in terms
of investment volume.
The Beijing Summit will be held against the backdrop that China
and Africa have constantly developed their relations over the past
years. China released its first African policy paper early this
year, putting forward its proposals for all-round cooperation with
Africa in various fields in the coming years.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao visited 10 African countries in
April and June this year respectively.
(Xinhua News Agency October 12, 2006)
