March 9, 2013 (TSR) – China’s new president will attend the fifth summit of BRICS countries’ leaders in South Africa, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said to Xinhua on Saturday.
“The visit by the new president will give impetus to strengthening partnership among the BRICS countries, improving the BRICS mechanism, and boosting the cooperation between BRICS nations and countries in Africa and other regions”, Yang told a press conference held on the sidelines of the annual Chinese parliamentary session, which is set to elect new state leadership including the president.
“The BRICS mechanism has become an important force in countering the international financial crisis, driving world economic growth, improving the governance of the global economy, and promoting democracy in international relations,” Yang added.
Yang said the new president’s visit to Africa fully demonstrated China’s commitment to growing its relations with African countries.
“China and African countries are good brothers, good friends and good partners,” he said.
RESPECT AFRICA’S CHOICE OF PARTNERSHIPS
Yang said he hoped all parties can view the cooperation between China and African countries in an objective manner, and respect the African friends in choosing cooperative partners by themselves.
“If you want to walk fast, walk alone; if you want to walk afar, walk together,” Yang said, citing a traditional African proverb to elaborate the importance of cooperation with African countries.
Many countries are advancing their cooperation with Africa, and China welcomes such cooperation, he said.
Yang said strategic partnership between China and Africa has developed fast over the years, and the two sides are actively implementing the follow-up actions to the fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
“China and Africa will especially promote cooperation in such fields as investment and financing, assistance, African integration, civilian exchanges, peace and security in Africa,” he said.
Yang called for more exchanges, less suspicions and accusations toward cooperation between China and African countries, and jointly promoting peace, stability and development in Africa.
He also said that the cooperation between China and African countries is in line with African people’s wish for stability and development in their own countries, unity among African countries, and fairness and justice of the international order.
In responding to questions about the cooperation between China and Latin American countries, Yang said, “China is willing to develop cooperation of all kinds with regional blocs like the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and promote the establishment of the forum on China-Latin America cooperation”.
He also expected that the visit by the new president will strengthen partnership among the BRICS countries, improve its mechanism, and boost the cooperation between BRICS nations and countries in Africa and other regions.
“The BRICS mechanism has become an important force in countering the international financial crisis, driving world economic growth, improving the governance of the global economy, and promoting democracy in international relations,” Yang said.
VISIT TO RUSSIA
“China’s new president will also visit Russia and take that as an opportunity to inject a strong impetus to its comprehensive and strategic partnership with Russia”, said Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
“China and Russia are each other’s biggest neighbor and see each other as a significant opportunity for development and a priority partner for cooperation,” Yang emphasized.
“We would like to joint hands with Russia, and take the opportunity presented by the upcoming visit of China’s new president to Russia to inject a strong impetus to the Sino-Russian comprehensive and strategic partnership,” said Yang.
A new state leadership will be formed at the session of the National People’s congress, which will conclude on March 17.
China’s new president will pay state visits to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo. The new president will also attend the fifth leaders’ summit of BRICS countries in South Africa.
South Africa is to host the BRICS summit in Durban on March 26-27.
BRICS is an economic bloc representing five of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
BRICS member countries represent about 43 percent of the world population and approximately one fifth of the global gross domestic product.
