|
CHANGSHA, June 27-- The first China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo opened Thursday in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, in a move to forge closer economic ties between the largest developing country and the largest developing continent. The three-day event has attracted more than 10,000 guests and traders, including those from 53 African countries, according to the organizing committee. Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory letter. The expo, announced at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last September, was established to provide a platform for deepening economic and trade cooperation between the two sides, he stressed. It is hoped that the two sides will strengthen coordination to better implement the eight major initiatives put forward at the Beijing summit of the FOCAC, actively explore new paths for cooperation, open up new points of growth for collaboration, and promote China-Africa economic and trade cooperation to a new level, Xi said. "Industrial development and free trade amongst ourselves will foster faster growth for our mutual benefit," said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the opening ceremony. "This Forum should, among others, enable us to devise ways of turning these rays of hope into a reality." Hailing the long-term friendship with Africa, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Qian Keming said at the expo that bilateral trade and economic cooperation should be practical and concrete to meet the development needs of African countries in areas such as infrastructure and talent cultivation. | 
