On November 6, 2006, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met at the Great Hall of the People respectively with South African President Thabo Mbeki, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou, Angolan Prime Minister Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, Cape Verde's Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves and Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with South African President Thabo Mbeki at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

Bilateral ties have witnessed rapid development nine years after China forged diplomatic relations with South Africa, Wen said during a meeting with visiting South African President Thabo Mbeki. The two sides have clinched strategic partnership and inked the Program of Cooperation on Deepening the Strategic Partnership. The premier said he sees a "clear direction", "concrete actions" and a rosy outlook for further development of China-South Africa ties.

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

Both developing countries at a critical stage of development, the two countries are not rivals from the economic perspective, Wen said. "We'll achieve common development as long as we complement each other with our respective advantages."  The premier expressed hope that future cooperation would focus on trade, investment and personnel training and bilateral trade and economic relations would be elevated to a new high.

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

 "It's the established policy of the Chinese government to promote peace and development in Africa and enhance friendly cooperation with the African countries," Wen said, adding that the Chinese side will further deepen relations with the African Union, support the New Partnership for Africa's Development, and call for more concerns and extra input from the international society to care for the African countries' interest.

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

Mbeki said his country and China enjoy friendship between their peoples and stable relations between their governments. The two sides have maintained close high-level contacts and carried out cooperation in an active and constructive manner.  In particular, he said the agreement reached between the two sides settling textile trade issues reflected a new level of their strategic partnership.   South Africa wishes to share China's experience and strategy for future development, while widening all-round cooperation, said the president, adding that his country, just like China, is dedicated to economic and social development and improvement of its people's lives. He echoed Wen's proposal to focus their cooperation on trade, investment and personnel training.

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with Cape Verde's Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

On behalf of South Africa and other African countries, Mbeki congratulated China on the success of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Though a developing country itself, China has rendered sincere support to Africa, he noted, adding that with China's help, Africa will be able to better tackle the problems and challenges arising in its peace and development process.

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with Angolan Prime Minister Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

When meeting with Bouteflika, Wen said as China and Algeria have long and deep friendship, China will always remember Algeria's contributions to resuming China's legitimate status in the United Nations. China appreciates Algeria's adherence to the one-China policy, he said. Algeria is a reliable friend of China in Africa, he said. China will firmly stick to the policy of developing friendly relationship with Algeria, Wen said. Wen noted China is willing to deepen exchanges at various levels, expand economic cooperation, strengthen consultations on international affairs and expand cultural exchanges to steadily develop strategic cooperative relationship between the two countries.

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

Wen reaffirmed China's support for Algeria's entry into the World Trade Organization.

Bouteflika said the Chinese people have always stood with the Algerian people in their just causes for national emancipation and development. Both sides are good friends sharing weal and woe with sincere treatment and Algeria hopes to develop traditional friendship with China under new circumstances, he said. Algeria encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in Algeria and undertake more cooperation in fields of water conservancy, information industry, agriculture and rural development.

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

When meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Wen recalled Egypt, leading other African and Arabian countries, forged diplomatic ties with China 50 years ago, which not only ushered in a new era for China-Egypt ties, but also helped promote China's relations with Arabian, African and developing nations. Over the past 50 years, the traditional friendship between China and Egypt has been continuously deepened with trade ties growing rapidly and both sides have become partners with close cooperation. The premier said the two countries should actively strive for the goals set in the outline the two countries signed for deepening strategic and cooperative relations when he visited Egypt earlier this year to push for faster and better development of bilateral ties. The two countries should coordinate to promote South-South cooperation and South-North dialogue, and push forward multilateralism and democracy of international relations, Wen said. He also urged the two countries to strengthen exchanges at all levels so that their friendship can be deeply rooted in the hearts of both peoples. Efforts should be made to deepen economic and trade cooperation with broader cooperation on mutual investment and service trade, Wen added.

When talking about the Middle East issue, Wen said currently the situation in the region remains stern and the international community should urge all the parties concerned to implement relevant United Nations resolutions and reach a comprehensive and fair settlement of the Middle East issue including the Palestine-Israel conflict under the principle of "land for peace" through political negotiations. Wen expressed China's willingness to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Egypt to this end.

Mubarak recalled with pleasure the progress of bilateral ties. He said over the past 50 years, China has scored enormous achievements in its development cause and Egypt-China ties have also witnessed great progress. Mubarak said as a friend of the Chinese people, he felt glad about all these achievements. China is playing an important positive role on the world arena, which strongly proves the full correctness and far-sightedness of Egypt to actively develop ties with China, he said. Egypt will as always make unremitting efforts to strengthen and deepen exchanges and cooperation with China and promote China-Africa and China-Arab ties.

Mubarak introduced his country's views on the current situation in the Middle East and appreciated China's support in the justice cause of the Arabian people and its active role in pushing forward the peaceful process of the Middle East.

When meeting Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou, Wen said Morocco, as China's sincere friend in Africa, is one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with China and has been taking the lead in developing ties with China.  The Chinese premier also said it is an established policy of China to consolidate and deepen relations with Morocco. China is ready to increase political trust with Morocco and expand cooperation in agriculture, fishery, communications, personnel training and labor contract.

China appreciated the efforts of Morocco in seeking a solution to the Western Sahara issue through political means, Wen said. China hopes the Western Sahara issue can be properly resolved through dialogues and consultation within the framework of the United Nations, and China is willing to play an active role for this objective, Wen said.

Jettou said that the Morocco-China relationship based on long-term friendship and mutual respect has been evolving positively, witnessing rapid trade growth.  Chinese enterprises' active participation in Morocco's construction in the sectors of fishery, telecommunications and infrastructure has contributed to the African country's economic development, he said. Morocco would like to deepen its cooperative partnership with China, make full use of the new measures China promised to take to boost African development and turn Morocco into an important gateway for Chinese firms to enter the African and Arabic markets, the Prime Minister said. Jettou appreciated China's persistent proposition on the Western Sahara issue.

In a meeting with Angolan Prime Minister Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, Wen said through his June visit, he deeply felt the friendly feelings that the Angolan people hold towards the Chinese people, as well as the positive aspiration of the Angolan government to develop ties with China. China values developing friendly relationship with Angola, China's largest trading partner in Africa, the Chinese Premier said. Wen said that China supports the reconstruction and development plan of Angola, and encourages bilateral cooperation in such fields as culture, education and medical care.

Wen said that the cooperation between countries should follow the principle of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, which is reflected in the Sino-Angolan relationship. China is willing to consolidate and develop friendly cooperation relationship with African countries including Angola in line with this principle.

China appreciates Angola's active role in the issue of the Great Lakes region, and will, as always, make contribution to an early realization of peace and prosperity in the region, Wen said.

Fernando said that economic rehabilitation and poverty relief are the major tasks of Angola at present. His visit to China helps him learn of the successful development experience of China. Angola hopes to promote cooperation between the two sides and has further talks with China on bilateral economic cooperation projects, especially in the fields of fishery, electric power, road and urban water supply.

When meeting with Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, Wen said in recent years, the China-Mauritius relations have achieved remarkable progress with frequent high-level exchanges, fruitful economic and trade cooperation and close coordination in the United Nations reform and other important international issues.    Currently as the two countries share a strong will of deepening pragmatic cooperation and seeking common development, they should take the opportunity to enhance cooperation in infrastructure construction and tourism, he said.

China understands the anxiety of African countries including Mauritius about their textile trade after the elimination of textile quota globally, and has been working persistently for balanced development of global textile trade.  The textile agreements China reached with the European Union and the United States last year, had, to a large extent, taken into account the interests of African countries in the European and American markets, Wen said.  China will continue to provide technological and managerial training in textile cooperation with African countries, so as to fulfill mutual benefit and common development, he said.

Ramgoolam said despite the distance keeping the two countries apart, Mauritius and China remain close friends. In the early 1970s, Mauritius broke through all outside obstacles to develop friendly ties with China. Mauritius appreciated the long-time assistance China has offered, as well as China's understanding of and support for textile trade and other issues that Mauritius has great interest in, he said.  He said Mauritius wishes to enhance cooperation with China in economy, trade, aviation, ocean shipping and tourism to promote Mauritius's economic growth.

When meeting with Cape Verde's Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves, Wen said though far apart, the two countries have always maintained close cooperative relations. Throughout the years, China has provided assistance to help Cape Verde build more than 10 projects including a dam and a library, which has yielded good economic and social effects, he said. Stating his country has also sent more than 10 medical teams to Cape Verde, Wen said China is a developing country and is not well-off itself. "The assistance we have provided to the best of our ability is therefore sincere and selfless," he added.

Wen said Cape Verde is composed of islands and shipping, communications, service and tourism sectors are crucial for Cape Verde's economic development, while China boasts advantages in these areas. China is willing to carry out reciprocal cooperation with Cape Verde in these areas, Wen added.

Neves said Cape Verde attaches great importance to enhancing friendly cooperative relations with China from a strategic perspective and his country is greatly inspired by the new moves China has announced to foster Africa's development, adding that Cape Verde wishes to take this opportunity to promote cooperation.

Wen said he had reached extensive consensus with Mosisili on issues concerning China's full-range cooperation with Lesotho during the prime minister's China visit last year. "Our two countries have actively put into practice the fruits of your previous visit and made new headway in bilateral relations," he added. China always holds that all countries, big or small, are equal, and is willing to make concerted efforts with Lesotho to establish future-oriented, long, stable and mutually beneficial cooperative relations based on equality, Wen said.

Lesotho is an underdeveloped inland country, he noted. Though China is a developing country itself, it is willing to contribute to achieving the UN millennium goals by pushing forward all-round cooperation with Lesotho and providing support to the best of its ability, he added. In the meantime, China will continue to encourage its companies to invest and set up factories in Lesotho, and carry out cooperation in textile, light industry, household electric appliances, farm produce processing, stockbreeding and civil construction, Wen said. The Chinese government hopes Lesotho will take full advantage of the newly announced preferential policies towards Africa and expand exports to China, said Wen.

Mosisili expressed admiration for China's policy to treat all countries as equals and conveyed the Lesotho people's gratitude for China's support in infrastructure construction, personnel training and medical and health care services. He said Lesotho cherishes its friendship with China and is willing to boost closer partnership, as well as enhance exchanges and cooperation, with China, adding that Lesotho welcomes Chinese investment in textile, communications and other sectors.