Beijing Declaration of the Forum
on China-Africa Cooperation, 12 October 2000
We, the Ministers in charge of Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Trade and International Co-operation, Economic
or Social Affairs from China and African countries,
met in Beijing from 10 to 12 October 2000 for the
Forum on China-Africa Co-operation Ministerial Conference
2000, the first gathering of its kind in the history
of China-Africa relations.
We had an extensive exchange of views on international
affairs and the state of relations between China
and African countries. We agree that the China-Africa
Co-operation Forum is a framework for collective
dialogue between China and African countries on
the basis of equality and mutual benefit and that
to seek peace and development is our common objective.
We realise that at the dawn of a new century, there
still exist serious destabilising factors in the
world and a huge gab between the rich North and
the poor South and that peace and development are
far from being fully realised.
We reaffirm that the injustice and inequality in
the current international system are incompatible
with the trend of the times towards world peace
and development, hinder the development of the countries
of the South and pose threats to international peace
and security. We stress that the establishment of
a just and equitable new international political
and economic order is indispensable for the democratisation
of international relations and for the effective
participation of developing countries in the international
process of decision-making.
We believe that it is of vital importance to world
peace and security to carry out general and complete
disarmament and the prohibition of all weapons of
mass destruction.
We note that globalisation makes all economies
more inter-dependent, but it benefits developed
countries more while putting most developing countries,
especially small and vulnerable economies and the
least developed countries in Africa, at a disadvantage
and subjecting their economic security or even state
sovereignty to severe challenges.
We recall the courageous struggle waged by African
countries and people for independence and their
commendable post-independence efforts for the growth
of their national economy and note that African
countries and the African continent as a whole are
still faced with many difficulties and challenges
in their process of development.
We note, with grave concern, that efforts over
the years have failed to bring about political,
economic and social stability in some African countries
and stress that economic and social factors are
at the root of political instability, social tensions
and frequent conflicts in Africa. Moreover, the
scourge of HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and other communicable
diseases is taking a heavy toll on the human and
economic resources of African countries, and the
aggravated poverty is seriously hindering the development
of Africa.
We stress that heavy debt burden has impeded the
development efforts of African countries and impoverished
their economies. We believe that the international
community has the responsibility and obligation
to help solve the African debt problem.
We are highly appreciative of the stable development
of Sino-African relations over the past decades;
have full confidence in the future Co-operation;
and agree that there exists a solid foundation for
friendly relations and Co-operation between China
and Africa, given their time-honoured traditional
friendship. We also emphasise that both China and
African countries are developing countries with
common fundamental interests and believe that close
consultation between the two sides on international
affairs is of great importance to consolidating
solidarity among developing countries and facilitating
the establishment of a new international order.
We review the development of co-operation between
China and African countries in the economic, trade
and other areas, and realise that there are considerable
potentials for such co-operation. We believe that
this co-operation is part of South-South co-operation
and that to strengthen this co-operation services
the immediate and long-term interests of both China
and African countries.
We hereby solemnly declare that :
The purposes and principles of the UN Charter and
the Charter of the Organisation of African Unity
(OAU), the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence
and other universally recognised principles governing
relations among states must be respected. All countries
should have the right to participate in international
affairs, on an equal footing. No country, or group
of countries, has the right to impose its will on
others, to interfere, under whatever pretext, in
other countries' internal affairs, or to impose
unilateral coercive economic measures on others.
The North and the South should strengthen their
dialogue and co-operation on the basis of equality.
The principle of peaceful settlement of international
disputes must be adhered to. Disputes between states
should be resolved through negotiation, consultation
or other peaceful means, rather than through force,
or threat of force, including nuclear threat. All
the nuclear-weapon-states must undertake not to
be the first to use nuclear weapons and not to use,
or threaten to use, nuclear weapons against non-nuclear
states or regions. All the parties concerned should
strive to advance the process of disarmament and
nuclear non-proliferation, with a view to realising
the ultimate goal of complete prohibition and through
destruction of nuclear weapons and other weapons
of mass destruction, so as to ensure security to
all countries. We support efforts to create new
nuclear-weapon-free zones, freely subscribed to
by the countries concerned.
The two sides are ready to enhance their co-operation
in stopping the illicit proliferation, circulation
and trafficking of small arms and light weapons.
The primary role of the UN Security Council in
safeguarding world peace and security should be
respected and enhanced and vigorous efforts should
be made to push forward the reform of the United
Nations and international financial institutions.
The developing countries should be more adequately
represented in the UN Security Council and international
economic and financial institutions so as to fully
reflect the democratic principle governing international
relations. In this respect, we call for the recognition
of the legitimate place due to Africa in the Security
Council and the organisations and specialised agencies
of the United Nations system.
The universality of human rights and fundamental
freedoms should be respected and the diversity of
the world and the principle of seeking common ground
while reserving differences must be upheld and carried
forward. Each country has the right to choose, in
its course of development, its own social system,
development model and way of life in light of its
national conditions. Countries, that vary from one
another in social systems, stages of development,
historical and cultural background and values, have
the right to choose their own approaches and models
in promoting and protecting human rights in their
own countries. Moreover, the politicisation of human
rights and the imposition of human rights conditionalities
on economic assistance should be vigorously opposed
to as they constitute a violation of human rights.
The principle of conducting mutually beneficial
co-operation and seeking common development should
be advocated. Developed countries have the responsibility
and obligation to provide financial, technological
and other assistance to developing countries, African
countries in particular. They should work out feasible
development programs for and co-operate with them
on the basis of equality and mutual benefit with
a view to achieving common development for both
the North and the South. The developing countries,
on their part, should unite and co-ordinate with
each other more closely, maximising advances while
minimising disadvantages and adversities, as well
as tackle together challenges brought about by globalisation.
We welcome efforts made by the African countries
to enhance sub-regional co-operation and further
consolidate African unity by establishing the African
Union. We urge the international community and international
organisations to support the measures adopted by
African countries for this purpose. All parties
concerned should commit themselves to solidarity,
peace and development of Africa and properly settle
the conflicts. We appreciate the active role by
OAU and other relevant regional and sub-regional
organisations in resolving African conflicts. The
international community, especially the United Nations,
should give special attention to the resolution
of conflicts in Africa. In this connection, it should
adopt all necessary measures, including formulating
effective peacekeeping programs and relief plans.
We appreciate the efforts made by African countries
and the international community to combat HIV/AIDS,
malaria and other infectious/communicable diseases,
as well as the actions undertaken to eradicate poverty.
In this respect, we welcome the initiative to establish
a World Solidarity Fund and call for vigorous support
by appropriate institutions for the establishment
of this Fund.
We agree to work together to improve co-operation
in the fight against terrorism, with a view to eliminating
this phenomenon in all its forms and manifestations.
We welcome the laudable efforts made by certain
middle income countries and other bilateral initiatives
by donors aimed at the cancellation of African official
debts. We appreciate the recent enhancement of the
Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative,
geared at relieving the debt burden and alleviating
poverty, particularly in Africa. We stress that
the HIPC initiative is being undertaken against
the background of the decline in ODA to historical
levels and that the rescheduling of Africa's debt
must not be conducted with political strings attached
or at the expense of official development assistance.
We strongly appeal to the relevant international
financial institutions and creditor developed countries
to adopt more concrete measures aimed at debt relief
and reduction for the least developed and middle
income African countries. We welcome concrete measures
and contribution to be made in this regard by China,
a developing country itself.
We are determined to further consolidate and expand
China-Africa co-operation at all levels and in all
fields and to establish within the framework of
South-South co-operation a new-type long-term and
stable partnership based on equality and mutual
benefit. We will deepen dialogue, broaden consensus,
continue to harmonise our positions on international
affairs and enhance mutual support so as to uphold
the legitimate rights and interests of China and
African countries and to expand and deepen this
new-type partnership between China and African countries.
We decide to vigorously promote further China-Africa
co-operation in the economic, trade, financial,
agricultural, medical care and public health, scientific
and technological, cultural, educational, human
resources development, transportation, environmental,
tourism and other areas on the basis of the principles
enshrined in this Declaration and the Program for
China-Africa Co-operation in Economic and Social
Development adopted at the Forum so as to promote
the common development of China and Africa.