In the 21st century, maintaining peace, seeking stability and promoting development have become a shared aspiration of people of all countries. In order to further strengthen the friendly cooperation between China and Africa under the new circumstances, to jointly meet the challenge of economic globalization and to promote common development, and in light of suggestions of some African countries, the Chinese Government made the proposal on the convocation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation---Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000, which was positively responded to by the vast number of African countries. 

(Xinhua News Agency October 2006)