Africa proud of relations with China
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Africa is very proud of its relations with China, Sudanese Ambassador to the United Nations Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Sunday.
Mohamad made the remarks at the sidelines of the 14th African Union (AU) summit here in the Ethiopian capital.
Although relations between Africa and China are not new, they have been given new momentum, because "China has not hidden agenda, and China is for the prosperity of Africa," Mohamad said.
"China has never colonized Africa like others. So China is very much having the confidence and trust (of the African countries). And China also has the credibility to deal with Africa's problems, "said the Sudanese diplomat.
Therefore, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, formed in 2006, is very successful, Mohamad said, noting that the cooperation between the two sides is multifaceted, covering all major economic areas such as oil, agriculture, mining, and human resource development.
"You find China everywhere and we are happy that China is doing this in confidence and with the full trust from the part of Africa, " he said.
Echoing the theme of the AU summit "Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development," Mohamad said "China has always been sensitive to giving Africa technology that are good, and that adapts to Africa's situation."
"So we salute the Africa-China cooperation, and we think that it would be a very good asset for the development of Africa," he said.
Referring to Africa's ICT development, Mohamad stressed that the development of Africa will greatly base on technology that is affordable and suitable to the African situations.
For Africa, development cannot be a vacuum, Mohamad said, adding that Africa needs to assist itself and empower itself technologically and economically.
"This is why the theme (of the summit) is important and we think the outcome will also greatly enhance Africa's self-development and prosperity," said the ambassador.
The three-day AU summit gathered heads of state and government of more than 50 AU members to assess the achievements and challenges of Africa's ICTs sector, and map out relevant development strategies.
The leaders will also discuss issues of major concern in the continent, including regional conflicts, Africa's political and economic integration, climate change and Africa's stance on UN reforms, among others.
