Chinese President Hu Jintao on Saturday afternoon held separate meetings with presidents of five African countries on the sidelines of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The five leaders are President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, President Armando Emilio Guebuza of Mozambique, President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, President Ely Ould Mohammed Vall of Mauritania and President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal.

The two-day summit opened in the Chinese capital Saturday morning with leaders of 48 African countries gathering at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.

Hu extended warm welcome to the five African leaders, saying he expected to have in-depth discussions with them on the development of a new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa, sources with Foreign Ministry said.

The African leaders expressed their appreciation to China for its "precious support" to the African countries over the past decades, noting their countries hoped to strengthen cooperation with China.

On the ongoing high-profile summit, the leaders said they believed the summit will not only help boost China-Africa ties, but also improve the solidarity and development of Africa.

The African leaders also reiterated their countries' stance on the one-China policy, voicing their support for China's reunification efforts.

Earlier Saturday, Hu also met with presidents of Equatorial Guinea, Mali and Ethiopia on separate occasions.

President Hu: China, Namibia to hold talks on expanding trade cooperation

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2006. Namibian President is in Beijing for the two-day Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), opened on Nov. 4.(Xinhua Photo)

Chinese President Hu Jintao said here on Saturday that China and Namibia will hold special talks on expanding bilateral trade during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

During a meeting with Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba on the sidelines of the summit, Hu said that China and Namibia have witnessed steady development of cooperation with bilateral trade growing constantly.

An increasing number of Chinese enterprises invested in Namibia. More fruitful results of trade expansion are expected to be achieved during the summit, Hu said.

Pohamba said that China has offered many preferential policies to Namibia, which benefit Namibian people a lot.

Namibia is seeking economic and trade partners in the East, said the president, adding that dozens of entrepreneurs accompanied him to the summit to explore cooperation potential with Chinese business circles.

He said Namibia is willing to strengthen cooperation with Chinain the fields of industry, human resources and infrastructure construction.

China and Namibia established diplomatic ties on Mar 22, 1990. Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, visited Namibia in 2005. In the same year, President Pohamba visited China.

Namibia is a destination country for Chinese tourists and tourist groups. Bilateral trade came to 140 million U.S. dollars in 2005.

China grants Mozambique tourism destination status

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Mozambican President Armando Emilio Guebuza at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2006. Meles Zenawi is in Beijing for the two-day Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), opened on Nov. 4.(Xinhua Photo)

China has agreed to endorse Mozambique as a new tourist destination in an effort to intensify bilateral cooperation in the tourism industry and boost mutual development, Chinese President Hu Jintao told visiting Mozambican President Armando Guebuza here Saturday.

This has raised the number of tourism destination countries for Chinese tourists in Africa to at least 13, including Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Zambia, Namibia, Seychelles, Rwanda, Nigeria and Cameroon.

During his meeting with Guebuza, Hu said the two countries have maintained friendly relations and all-round cooperation. "The Chinese government will continue to provide aids and will encourage Chinese companies to invest in Mozambique."

He said key areas for China-Mozambique cooperation include infrastructure construction and agriculture.

Chinese experts, doctors and business people have played an active role in Mozambique's social and economic development, for which the Mozambican people are grateful, said Guebuza.

He said his country wishes to expand cooperation with China, particularly in infrastructure construction and personnel training.

Guebuza arrived here on Friday for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which opened Saturday morning.

China and Mozambique established diplomatic ties on July 25, 1975, the very day when Mozambique declared independence. Bilateral trade amounted to 165 million U.S. dollars last year.

China willing to offer assistance to improve Djibouti people's life

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2006. Ismail Omar Guelleh is in Beijing for the two-day Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), opened on Nov. 4.(Xinhua Photo)

China is willing to expand cooperation with Djibouti in fields of telecommunications and harbor services, said Chinese President Hu Jintao here Saturday when meeting with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

Guelleh arrived here on Friday for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation slated for Nov. 4-5. In recent years, the China-Djibouti relations have witnessed rapid development with personnel exchanges increasing, political mutual trust enhanced and bilateral trade booming, Hu said.

China is willing to offer assistance to improve Djibouti people's life, said Hu.

With gifted geological location, Djibouti is willing to enhance cooperation with China in harbor construction and transportation, so as to facilitate personnel and cargo transportation and create better conditions for further economic and trade cooperation between Africa and China, Guelleh said.

China and Djibouti established diplomatic relations on Jan. 8, 1979. Bilateral trade topped 111.99 million U.S. dollars in 2005.

China, Mauritania to expand cooperation

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Mauritanian head of state Ely Ould Mohammed Vall at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2006. Ely Ould Mohammed Vall is in Beijing for the two-day Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), opened on Nov. 4.(Xinhua Photo)

China will deepen cooperation with Mauritania in telecommunication, science and technology and human resources to seek common development, Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Saturday afternoon.

Hu said, during his meeting with Ely Ould Mohammed Vall, Head of State and Chairman of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy of Mauritania, that China hoped to work with the African country to expand political trust.

China and the country to the west of Sahara have achieved substantial progress in cooperation in fishery, farming, infrastructure facility construction and medical care. "Friendship has stricken root in the hearts of the two peoples," Hu said.

Vall said the bilateral cooperation has maintained good momentum and his country hopes to explore more ways to make full advantages of each other's competence and achieve common prosperity.

Vall was here to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) opened on Saturday with a theme of "friendship, peace, cooperation and development".

The FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.

Since the FOCAC launch in 2000, three ministerial conferences have been held in Beijing and Addis Ababa, with an action plan discussed and passed, laying out cooperation programs between China and Africa from 2007 to 2009 under the FOCAC framework.

Senegalese president: Resuming ties with China a "correct" decision

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 4, 2006. Abdoulaye Wade is in Beijing for the two-day Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), opened on Nov. 4.(Xinhua Photo)

Senegal's restoration of diplomatic ties with China is a "correct" decision, said Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade in Beijing Saturday.

Wade, who is here for the weekend Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), made the remarks when meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Senegal restored diplomatic ties with China in October 2005.

Wade said Senegal is satisfied with the development of bilateral cooperation, which has expanded to all the fields that his country expects to cover.

Statistics showed that trade between China and Senegal in 2005 reached 141 million U.S. dollars.

Wade said the cooperation agreements between the two countries are being carried out actively and Senegal will make more efforts to promote ties with China.

Hu said the Chinese government highly values relations with Senegal and sees the country as an important cooperative partner in Africa.

The Chinese president said the relations between China and Senegal have developed smoothly and rapidly with frequent personnel exchanges, increasing economic and trade cooperation and fruitful collaboration in the health sector.

"We are ready to join hands with Senegal to push China-Segenal friendly cooperation into a new stage," Hu said.

At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit, Hu announced a package of aid and assistance measures for Africa, including 3 billion U.S. dollars of preferential loans in the next three years and the exemption of more debt owed by poor African countries.