On October 18, 2006, at the invitation of the International Press Center (IPC), Xu Jinghu, Director General of the Department of African Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, Zhou Yabin, Director General of the West Asia and Africa Department of the Ministry of Commerce, Zhang Yuqing, Deputy Director General of the Energy Bureau of National Development and Reform Commission, Cen Jianjun, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education, Mao Qun'an, Deputy Director of the General Office of the Ministry of Health and Yu Peng, Assistant to Director General of the Foreign Affairs Liaison Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, gave a briefing for domestic and international journalists on the background of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and China-Africa cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, trade, energy resources, education, culture and health. Liu Jianchao, Director General of the Information Department of the Foreign Ministry, hosted the briefing.

Xu Jinghu briefly introduced the development of China-Africa relations and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation & the Third Ministerial Meeting. Xu said that China and African countries enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges and the Chinese and the African people share a profound traditional friendship. The bilateral friendly cooperation in various fields including politics, economy, trade, health, education, culture and social progress gets increasingly expanded and deepened. In October 2000 at the initiative of both sides the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was set up. The forum has become a major platform and an effective mechanism for China and the friendly African countries to conduct collective dialogue and carry out pragmatic cooperation.

To hold the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is a historic event in the relations between China and Africa. The theme of the Summit has been defined as "friendship, peace, cooperation and development". The Summit will issue a political declaration and adopt the action plan of China-Africa cooperation in the areas of social and economic development. Xu also introduced the major activities and preparations of the Summit and noted that with the joint efforts of both sides the Beijing Summit will be a grand event characterized by solidarity, pragmatism and success and become a new milestone in the history of China-Africa relations.

Zhou Yabin talked about China-Africa economic and trade relations. He said that the Chinese government always supports developing the economic and trade relations with African countries on the basis of "equality, mutual benefit, effectiveness, diversification and common development". Since the creation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China-Africa economic and trade relations have entered into the new stage of all-round, rapid and stable development. In 2005 the trade volume between China and Africa amounted to US$39.7 billion. The Chinese government encourages the competitive and reputable businesses to invest in Africa and conduct engineering project cooperation with African countries.

Zhou also said that China and Africa are friends in adversity. The Chinese government, within its capacity, sincerely provides economic and technical assistance to 53 African countries and has reduced or exempted 158 debts due worth about RMB10.9 billion of 31 heavily indebted poor countries and least developed countries in Africa.

Zhang Yuqing introduced the cooperation between China and Africa in the area of energy resources. Africa enjoys abundant resources and the sustained and rapid economic growth of China raises growing demand for energy, which lays down the foundation for further expanding the bilateral cooperation in energy resources. China is both a big consumer and producer of energy and over 90% of its energy demand is met from home. Its import of oil only accounts for about 6% of the world oil trade volume. China's investment in and cooperation with Africa in energy resources are just at the initial stage and have limited size. In the process of conducting energy cooperation with African countries, China pays attention to promoting the economic development of energy producing countries through energy investment, accelerating their exploration and development through providing engineering and technical services, helping them establish the oil industry with integration of upstream and downstream sectors through refinery and chemicals project cooperation and cultivating professionals for them through technological cooperation and training. Meanwhile related Chinese businesses are active supporters for the local community development and build such infrastructures as road, bridge and hospital for energy producing countries, which has promoted the local social stability and harmony and realized a win-win outcome for the energy producing countries and their partners. The cooperation between China and Africa in the area of energy resources is in the interest of both sides and helps boost the economic and social progress of both sides. Such cooperation complies with international rules and does not exclude or influence the cooperation between Africa and other countries.

Cen Jianjun introduced China-Africa educational exchanges and cooperation. So far China has established educational exchanges with more than 50 African countries, which is a major component of China's foreign exchanges, especially with African countries. In 2005 the Forum of Chinese and African Educational Ministers was held in Beijing at which the Beijing Declaration was adopted and signed. China promised that in the next 3 years it would provide training to 1,000 African each year, including educational administrative officials, heads of universities, middle and primary schools and vocational schools and backbone teachers.

Cen also said that the purpose of offering the Chinese government scholarship is to train various professionals for African countries. China has provided 18,919 person times of government scholarship for 50 African countries. In the next 5 years. 1,200 African students enjoying the Chinese government scholarship will double. China also conducts the Chinese language teaching in response to the needs of African countries and has dispatched 210 person times of Chinese language teachers to 20 African countries and set up 6 Confucius Institutes in 6 African countries. China attaches importance to strengthening cooperation with Africa in the fields of higher learning and vocational and technical education and will expand such cooperation step by step.

Mao Qun'an introduced the cooperation between China and Africa in the field of health. Since 1963 when China sent the first medical team to Algeria the cooperation between China and African countries in the field of health has been deepening. By the end of 2005 China has dispatched to 47 African countries over 15,000 person times of medical staffs who have treated about 170 billion person times of patients. At present there are about 950 Chinese medical staffs providing assistance in 36 African countries. Those staffs are called by the local governments and people as "the ambassadors in white", "showcase of South-South cooperation" and "the most welcomed people". Such Chinese medial teams also become the typical example of the long-term cooperation between China and other developing countries.

Mao also said that since the creation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000 China has intensified the training of medical human resources for Africa within the framework of the Forum. The trainees include health technological and management staffs in the fields of traditional medicine, clinical medicine, disease control and medical management of rural areas. Mao stated that China will keep dispatching medical assistant teams to African countries and strengthening the cooperation with Africa on the prevention and treatment of communicable diseases such as malaria and the training of medical human resources to help African countries develop their medical undertaking.

Yu Peng said that the cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Africa are the indispensable links and bridges of mutual understanding and communication between the two sides. China, so far, has signed cultural cooperation agreements with the majority of African countries and 156 plans for the implementation of those agreements with African countries. China has dispatched over 50 governmental cultural delegations to Africa and received more than 170 governmental cultural delegations from African countries. China and Africa have carried out extensive exchanges and cooperation in such areas as performance arts, fine arts, book publishing, cultural relics, museums, news, broadcasting, film, TV and human resources development. Within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Chinese government has, in recent years, increased the input to the cultural exchanges and cooperation with Africa to further consolidate the cultural ties between the two sides. African countries also extend strong support for enhancing China-Africa cultural ties. This marks a new breakthrough for the cultural exchanges between China and Africa in terms of scale, scope and form. Both sides have also conducted a number of large-scale and influential cultural exchange activities, such as "Meet in Beijing ? with Africa as the Guest Continent", "Chinese Cultural Tour in Africa", "Chinese Cultural Tour in Northern Africa" and the upcoming "Feeling China" activity in South Africa.

The Chinese government has hosted a number of cultural activities through the 3 Chinese cultural centers set up in Africa, which plays an active role in promoting the cultural exchanges and friendly cooperation between China and Africa. To support the convening of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Ministry of Culture has invited 6 African national troupes to present special performances and organized the African arts and crafts exhibition in the National Museum of China. The Ministry of Culture will also hold an evening art performance in the Great Hall of the People to celebrate the Beijing Summit.

Having concluded the briefing, the officials from 6 ministries and commissions answered questions of the journalists.

While answering the question concerning the military cooperation between China and Africa, Xu Jinghu said that China and Africa conduct normal exchanges and cooperation in the military field, including China's active participation in the peace-keeping mission of the United Nations in Africa. Since 1990 China has participated in 12 UN peace-keeping operations in Africa and dispatched over 3000 person times of peace keepers. At present, China is participating in 7 peace-keeping operations in Africa involving 1,273 Chinese peace-keeping military staffs. Moreover, China also offers material and spot exchange assistance to the Africa Union in its peace-keeping missions in Burundi and the Darfur region of Sudan.

While answering the question concerning China's assistance to Africa, Zhou Yabin said that China's assistant to African countries is the sincere help offered between friends. As a responsible developing country, China actively carries out South-South cooperation in the principles of mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win results and offers the assistance within its ability to the developing countries including those in Africa.