In Luanda on Tuesday Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos agreed with visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to broaden mutually beneficial cooperation.

 

During their meeting Premier Wen said Sino-Angolan relations had developed smoothly in the past 23 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

 

"The Chinese government highly appreciates Angola's adherence to the one-China principle and China supports Angola's post-war reconstruction," said Wen who's on a seven-nation Africa tour.

 

The premier said Chinese enterprises were seeking more opportunities for economic cooperation in Angola which is China's second largest trading partner in Africa. Some Angolan projects aided by China had achieved sound social and economic benefits, he added.

 

Wen noted that China would further strengthen cooperation with Angola in the fields of infrastructure, telecommunications and energy. He said China would continue to aid Angola and encourage their companies to invest in China.

 

For his part Dos Santos said bilateral relations had made real progress as both sides had abided by the principles of mutual respect, equality and benefit. He said Angola's reconstruction needed China's help and he welcomed investment. 

 

The president said Angola supported China's policy toward Africa and added that China's cooperation projects in Africa helped the continent to develop, relieved poverty and achieved common goals.

 

China's energy development should begin inside the country making energy saving and improved efficiency the priority, Wen said.

 

Currently China could provide 90 percent of its own energy needs. The oil imported from Africa to China annually was less than one third of that by some countries, Wen observed. In the future China would further enhance its energy cooperation with African countries, including Angola, based on equality and mutual benefit, said the Chinese premier.

 

President Dos Santos expressed his hope that the two countries could strengthen their mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy sector combining Angola's rich natural resources with China's huge development potential.

 

When talking about the position in Africa's Great Lakes region Wen said the overall situation was developing positively. The Chinese government had always insisted that the countries of the Great Lakes should try to solve their problems through negotiation and dialogue on the basis of respecting each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity, pursuing peace, friendship and prosperity in the region together.

 

China supported the Angolan government's efforts to solve regional disputes and would offer help when needed, Wen pledged.

 

Dos Santos expressed his appreciation of China's offer and promised to continue to work on regional peace and stability. The two sides issued a joint communiqué and signed a series of economic cooperation treaties after the meeting.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2006)