On July 31, 2015, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks in Beijing with visiting Sam Kutesa, President of the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly and Foreign Minister of Uganda.

Wang Yi said that enhancing solidarity and cooperation with African countries serves as important foundation for China’s diplomacy and also is a long-term choice China will firmly stick to. China’s cooperation with Africa is featured by distinctive Chinese characteristics:

First, China will never interfere in the domestic affairs of African countries. Since those have the best understanding of Africa should be African countries, the nations outside Africa should respect the development paths and ways of governance chosen independently by African nations.

Second, China always makes sure its cooperation with Africa caters to Africa’s actual needs. In those days Africa needed independence and liberation most, China did not hesitate to stand together with African friends. African nations now hope to achieve industrialization and improve their capability for self-driven development, for which China completely supports. China will be a most desirable and reliable long-term cooperative partner for Africa to achieve industrialization and hopes to make new contributions in this regard.

Third, China will adhere to the correct viewpoint of righteousness and benefit. China-Africa cooperation, as a kind of South-South Cooperation, pursues mutual benefit and win-win results, China will try its best to take into consideration the difficulties confronted by the African side. China will neither seek colonialism in Africa as Western countries did, nor pursue cooperation at the cost of Africa’s ecological environment. China will focus more on making the China-Africa cooperation bring benefits to local people and increase employment in African nations.

Wang Yi noted that China and Uganda enjoy profound friendship, high complementarity in their development strategies and promising prospect in mutually beneficial cooperation. Both sides should further enhance cooperation in production capacity, energy and resources exploration, infrastructure, agriculture, fisheries, human resources and other sectors so as to forge an upgraded version of China-Uganda cooperation.

Sam Kutesa noted that the friendly relations between Africa and China can be attributed to a historic link. In those days when Africa fought against the colonist, China offered Africa with firm support. The African people know who their true friends are. Africa appreciates the principles of mutual benefit, win-win result and equal treatment upheld by China. China has never colonized Africa, so they don’t accept groundless accusations against Africa-China cooperation. As Uganda is committed to achieving its long-term plan “Uganda Vision 2040” and China is striving for realizing national rejuvenation, both nations are cooperative partners shoulder to shoulder.