Khartoum forum bridge for deepening Africa-China ties

A leading Sudanese NGO leader said Thursday that a forum concluded earlier this week in Khartoum constituted a new bridge to deepen historical ties between Africa and China.

The 3rd China-Africa People's Forum "reflects the real communication between the Chinese and African peoples," said Amar Bashari, chairman of Sudan Network for National Non-Governmental Organizations, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

"The (event) is a popular forum that brings together the civil society organizations concerned with the issues of their peoples, with the aim to achieve the biggest benefits for the African and Chinese peoples," he said.

The forum promoted collaboration among NGOs through the recently-published Khartoum Report, which encourages Chinese and African NGOs to complete joint projects such as exchanging information on capacity building and training and more involvement in humanitarian assistance and relief, Bashari said.

"China has created around 500 projects in Africa, where these projects have greatly contributed to changing the reality of many population groups," he said.

Bashari said that lessons learned from China's recent strides in economic development could benefit Africa.

"If we managed to implement the Chinese experience in the field of poverty alleviation, to build the capacity of the organizations, to tackle the issues of people of special needs and fragile communities, together with the voluntary services, we will be able to go far in the field of poverty relief," Bashari said.

"There is big optimism after the success of this forum, particularly with the Africans' deep sense that the cooperation with China achieves common interests.

"This sense came due to China's respect of the others' culture and its refraining from the agenda of political nature," Bashari said. "Our partnership with China is based on cooperation and friendship in a manner that achieves benefit for the peoples."

More than 400 delegates from China and 27 African countries attended the two-day forum, which concluded in Khartoum on Tuesday.

The first China-African People's Forum was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in August 2011, and the second in Suzhou, China, in July 2012.