This morning, the forum of Africa-China Cooperation Summit opens in the Chinese capital, Beijing and it is expected to last up to the 5th of November. The theme of the summit is, "Friendship, peace, cooperation and development." The meeting comes against the backdrop of the 50th anniversary of China's establishment of diplomatic relations with Africa, beginning with Egypt in 1956.

The Beijing summit which is expected to attract about 30 heads of state and governments in Africa would review the 50 years of Africa-China relations and not only to note its watershed, but to inspire new ambitious benchmarks in the relations between the two sides. The forum on China-Africa cooperation was proposed by the Chinese government and held its inaugural meeting in Beijing in 2000. The Chinese government proposed the initiative in the context of the challenges of the 21st century and the new circumstances it has thrown up, especially that of economic globalisation.

The inaugural summit which held from 10th to 12th October, 2000, affirmed that Sino-African cooperation forum "is a framework for collective dialogue between China and African countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit and to seek peace and development is our common objective." During the meeting, Chinese and African leaders are expected to forge a new strategic partnership and it is also believed that the meeting would open up new paths, add new content and infuse greater momentum in the cooperation between Africa and China. Over the past half a century, China-Africa cooperation has undergone numerous historical turns. Since China established diplomatic relation with Egypt in 1956, it has gone ahead to establish relations with 48 African countries till date. Its volume of trade has risen astronomically from 12 million US dollars then to exceed 50 billion US dollars now. Since the establishment of the forum on China-African cooperation in 2000, economic and trade cooperation between the two sides has entered a new stage, with comprehensive, rapid and stable development. Trade volume has also climbed to 39.7 billion US dollars in 2005 after breaking the mark of 10 billion US dollars in 2000. In addition, China has forgiven debts of 10.9 billion yuan (1.38 billion US dollars) by 31 heavily-indebted and least developed countries in Africa and extended zero tariff treatment to some imports to China. Meanwhile, China's growing energy needs and other primary commodities have ensured handsome returns for a host of African producers. Besides, the growing economic ties, China is also a strong supporter of Africa's greater involvement in world affairs. It has thrown its weight behind Africa's elevation to the permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.

For us, Africa-China cooperation is welcome not only because it has offered Africa more expansive room to diversify its contact with the world, but because it has inherent mechanisms to reinforce mutual respect for one another. However, we note that that mutual respect will last as long as both sides ensure balanced cooperation, not one in which one side is dependent on the other. To this effect, we urge Africa to take measures to breach the existing gap in trade and economic balance between the two sides. Africa must deliberately attempt to move beyond the supply of primary products and set clear objectives to export finished or semi-finished products to China. We also welcome China's massive investment in Africa, and especially its many state corporations that operate in the continent. However, we deplore the practices of these Chinese companies of not applying the standards of Chinese industrial relations to their African employees. It has been noted in Nigeria that most Chinese firms hire workers only on casual basis, pay them poorly and fire them in the most indiscriminate fashion. These practices do not conform to the spirit of Africa-China relation, which is the moving spirit behind the cooperation summit in Beijing.