China to strengthen strategic partnership with Algeria, Tanzania, Zambia
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Beijing seeks to strengthen long-term economic cooperation between the three African countries.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Tanzanian Foreign Minister Liberata Mulamula via video link in Tunxi, east China's Anhui Province, on March 20, 2022 (Xinhua)
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Algerian counterpart, Ramtane Lamamra, and his Tanzanian counterpart, Liberata Mulamula, in China and via videoconference, respectively.
Algeria, China
Wang, speaking to Lamamra, said that unlike some countries preoccupied with geographical games, there are many countries like China and Algeria that enjoy long histories and advocate peace and justice.
The Chinese FM called on countries with 'similar vision' to join hands to enhance unity and coordination to promote democratic processes in international relations.
For his part, the Algerian foreign minister expressed appreciation towards China's position regarding the Ukraine crisis, asserting that China's approach that is in favor of international fairness and justice, which promotes peace, stability, security, is rightful and promising for the future.
Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis on February 24, China has maintained a neutral, independent stance.
Tanzania, China
The meeting with the Tanzanian foreign minister was over a video link: in the talks with Mulamula, Wang said the friendship between Beijing and Dodoma had "taken root in people's hearts," adding that China looked forward to seeing bilateral relations materialize from a strategic and long-term perspective.
Wu Peng, the Director-General of the Department of African Affairs in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, weighed in on the matter, also revealing that China had also recently met with Zambian Foreign Minister Kasongo Kakubo.
After talks with Foreign Minister of #Zambia, #Algeria and #Tanzania, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi demonstrated #China's determination to stand firmly with #Africa and called for more support to Africa as the international situation becomes more volatile. pic.twitter.com/MpbBbofjmE
— 吴鹏 Wu Peng (@WuPeng_MFAChina) March 20, 2022
China, as stressed by Wang, is ready to deepen comprehensive cooperative partnership with Tanzania and make significant contributions to Africa's self-sustaining development capabilities.
On his part, Mulamula said that Tanzania was committed to building its relations with China to form a new touchstone for African-Chinese ties.
Zambia, China
Wang Yi stressed that China and Zambia should expand cooperation in a number of emerging areas, such as in modern agriculture, manufacturing, and renewable energy.
The Zambian foreign minister met with Wang Yi in China's Anhui Province.
Kakubo is the first foreign minister of a sub-Saharan African country to visit China since the outbreak of the pandemic. The visit was warmly welcomed as a 'traditional friendship' between China and Zambia.
Wang underlined that Sino-Zambian relations had become a benchmark of China-Africa friendship and a model of South-South cooperation, continuing to say that China hoped Zambia would create a sound business environment for Chinese companies and China would continue to provide support to Zambia's economic and social development within its capacity.
Kakubo, on his part, congratulated Beijing on hosting the Winter Olympics and thanked China for their firm support in Zambia's fight against COVID-19, as the vaccines provided by China aided the African country increase its vaccination rate from less than 3% to over 22%.
The Zambian foreign minister said he expected China to increase investment and trade in his country, and spoke highly of China's long-term contribution to Africa in general.
Both China and Zambia agreed that a primary example of sincere friendship between the two is the Tanzania-Zambia railway project, which is an expression of a joint-effort promise between China and Africa to operate the railway well.
