Your Excellency President Gnassingbe Eyadema,


Your Excellency President Abdelaziz Bouteflika,


Your Excellency President Frederick J.T. Chiluba,


Your Excellency President Benjamin Willian Mkapa,


Your Excellency Secretary General Salim Ahamed Salim.


Your Excellencies Ministers,


Ladies and Gentlemen,


Dear Friends,


This evening, heads of state and ministers from African countries are gathering in Beijing to celebrate the successful convocation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000. Please allow me to extend, on behalf of the Chinese Government, our warmest welcome to all the participants. We are deeply honored by the presence of His Excelle3ncy President Eyadema, His Excellency President Bouteflika, His Excellency President Chiluba and His Excellency President Mkapa at this dinner.


The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is an important initiative at the turn of the century for China and African countries to strengthen dialogue, promote cooperation and seek common development. It is and unprecedented event in the history of China- Africa relations both in terms of its nature and the number of participating states, which not only shows the great vitality of the amicable relations between China and African countries, but also our strong desire and firm resolve to meet the challenges of the new century and create a better future.


In their speeches at the opening ceremony, President Jiang Zemin and the heads of state of four African countries made profound analysis of the situation we are faced with, put forward explicitly the common propositions of China and African countries on how to build a new international political and economic order, and drew a blueprint for the future cooperation between China and African countries. I am convinced that with the concerted efforts of all the participants, this Conference will surely be a complete success and attain the set goals of conducting consultation on an equal footing, enhancing mutual understanding, broadening common ground, deepening friendship and promoting cooperation, thus laying a new foundation for the China-Africa friendly relations and cooperation in the 21st century.


Now, may I propose a toast


to the successful convocation of the Forum on China- Africa Cooperation, Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000,


to the ever strengthening of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and


to the good health of the heads of state and all the friends present.


Thank you.