Madam Xu Jinghu, Director General of African Department of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Secretary-General of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Chinese Follow-up Actions Committee, met with Prof. Mucavele, CEO of the NEPAD Secretariat on 15 March 2006 during her visit to South Africa. This is the very first face-to-face discussion that the Secretary-General of FOCAC Chinese Follow-up Actions Committee has ever had with the CEO of the NEPAD Secretariat.

Prof. Mucavele briefed Madam Xu in details the priority development sectors identified by NEPAD and the operational mechanism of NEPAD, illustrating NEPAD's willingness to build a closer partnership with China. Madam Xu briefed Prof. Mucavele the gratifying outcomes of the cooperation between China and Africa under the framework of FOCAC in the fields of economic and trade, education, health, agriculture and science and technology etc, since the establishment of the Forum in 2000, and reiterated the importance FOCAC has attached to the cooperation with NEPAD, as well as FOCAC's stance to further enhance the exchange of views and cooperation with the NEPAD secretariat, so as to help realize African economic and social development goals mapped out by NEPAD.

Madam Xu had once again extended her invitation to Prof. Mucavele to visit China at a convenient time this year, in order to explore new ways to enhance the mutual cooperation. Prof. Mucavele accepted the invitation with pleasure.