Chinese President Hu Jintao rolled out red carpet on Friday morning at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing, to welcome five presidents of African countries, who were here for a two-day China-Africa summit.

Hu met, on separate occasions, with five African presidents, including Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana.

Hu extolled the upcoming Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), saying it is a great undertaking in the history of China-Africa relations.

At the two-day summit slated for Nov. 4-5, leaders of China and African countries will review the development of China-Africa relationship and blueprint the future cooperation, Hu said.

The Chinese president said the summit will have a significant impact on enhancing mutual understanding and trust between China and African leaders, deepening traditional friendship, bolstering pragmatic cooperation and promoting South-South cooperation.

He also expressed China's appreciation to the five countries for their adherence to the one-China policy and "precious support" to China in international affairs.

Presidents of the five countries said China, which has been offering consistent and firm political and economic support to Africa, was seen as a favorable partner by African people.

The presidents agreed the Beijing Summit, with its significant impact on China-Africa relations, were warmly supported by the governments and people of their countries, saying they hope African countries and China make full use of the summit and draw up future cooperative plans to achieve common development.

While meeting Sassou-Nguesso, Hu said the friendly cooperation between China and the Republic of Congo has been going on smoothly since the two countries established strategic partnership more than a year ago.

"We've been exploring new ways to serve our mutual best interest and to create a win-win situation," he said.

Sassou-Nguesso, who was elected African Union (AU) chairman for the 2006 session at the sixth AU summit in the Sudanese capital Khartoum in January, spoke positively of his country's relations with China, saying the two sides are putting into practice their consensus for cooperation.

During a meeting with Museveni, Hu said bilateral ties will be consolidated through strengthening friendly exchanges and exploring cooperation potential, noting the two countries share mutual trust and close cooperation, vowing China is willing to push forward mutual friendship to a new level.

Museveni said China had granted important support when Uganda strove for national independence, and offered assistance in Uganda's economic development. He said Uganda hopes to expand cooperation with China in fields of railway, energy, processing of agricultural produce and tourism.

When meeting with Kabbah, Hu said the relations between the two countries have developed smoothly on the basis of equality, mutual respect and trust.

Kabbah said Sierra Leone is under economic reconstruction and willing to see cooperation with China in trade, investment, infrastructure building and health.

In his meeting with Kagame, Hu said he believed the friendly cooperative relations between China and Rwanda would advance in a healthy and rapid manner.

Kagame recognized the effective cooperation between Rwanda and China in agriculture, fishery, sanitation and the construction of public utilities. Bilateral coordination in international affairs was favorable, he said.

When meeting with Kufuor, Hu said China wishes to enhance cooperation with Ghana in areas of infrastructure construction, telecommunications and human resources.

The high quality of the road and other projects that the Chinese side helped construct in Ghana has received applause from the Ghanaian people, who wish to enhance cooperation with China in trade, investment, power development, information networks and road construction, so as to fulfill win-win and mutual benefit, said Kufuor.

Forty eight African countries that have diplomatic relations with China are to participate in the two-day summit focusing on "friendship, peace, cooperation and development." Since FOCAC was established in 2000, economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa has entered a new era, with comprehensive, rapid and stable development.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2006)