Comoran President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi Thursday said that quality cooperation between China and Africa could be regarded as a model.

In a written interview with Xinhua, Sambi, president of the Union of Comoros, said that China has supported African efforts in maintaining peace and stability with financial and concrete assistance.

He expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government and people for inviting him to attend the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing.

The president gave high praise to the ongoing enhancement of the relations between China and African countries.

He said the Beijing summit provides an opportunity to strengthen South-South cooperation against the background of globalization as it will exert a greater impact on international politics and economy.

Sambi added that the China-Africa Cooperation Forum illustrates the determination of China to promote the friendship and cooperation between various countries and peoples, as well as her commitment to peace, security and development.

The trade cooperation between China and Africa has progressed very smoothly, with the trade volume of the two sides rising by 700 percent from 1991 to 2005, said Sambi.

He added that the Chinese government has made significant efforts to encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa, especially in the areas of processing industry, transportation, telecommunication, natural resources development and commerce.

Forty-four percent of China's foreign aid has been targeted on Africa, said the Comoran president. China has an increasingly extensive presence in the fields of human resources, education, agriculture and medicine on the continent.

On Comoros-China relations, Sambi reiterated that the cooperation between the two countries has been sincere, unselfish and without any preconditions.

The partnership between China and Comoros has entered a strategic level with a bright and brilliant future ahead, Sambi said.

China is among the first nations to recognize the independent Comoros and China has helped Comoros construct the parliamentary building, the national broadcasting and TV center and other projects, Sambi said.

On international affairs, President Sambi said Africa is keen to strengthen coordination with China. Comoros would always support China's efforts in facilitating world peace, security and development.

Concerning the Taiwan issue, Sambi said African countries stand firm on the principle of "one China, two systems" and China's great cause of peaceful reunification.

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)