AU, China vow to deepen relations, cooperation

The African Union (AU) and China have vowed to deepen cooperation and elevate the existing relations to a higher level.

Kuang Weilin, the first head of China's permanent mission to AU, on Friday presented his credentials to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission during a ceremony at the Headquarters of the 54- member countries pan-African bloc in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The Chinese and AU leaders had earlier reached a wide range of consensus to further promote the overall relations between the two sides.

AU and China, in January this year signed agreements for partnership on major infrastructure projects including regional highways, railway networks, air transport and industrialization in Africa.

Receiving the credentials of the diplomat, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, said the designation of China's permanent mission to AU indicates both the AU and China are looking at deepening and broadening their relations and cooperation.

Establishing of China's mission to AU also enables the two sides to work closely on the already agreed long-term projects and also other areas of cooperation such as agriculture and security among others towards improving livelihoods in Africa, noted the chairperson.

"Today marks a very historic point in our relations with the People's Republic of China as the African Union, because for the first time we are going to have a dedicated mission that will look at cooperation and relations between the African Union and the People's Republic of China," she said.

"We are at a very important historic moment because we can identify between us a number of important opportunities which will create win-win cooperation between the People's Republic of China and Africa," she said.

Dlamini-Zuma also said Africa's cooperation with China, especially on industrialization would have significant contribution to ensuring better lives on the continent by creating job opportunities to the growing Africa's young population and enabling Africa to develop its abundant natural resources.

"We are very excited about this mission. And therefore, our cooperation with the Chinese is going to be absolutely important for industrialization," she said.

Kuang noted that his mission aims at further strengthening the relationship and cooperation between China and Africa.

Reiterating that China and AU have reached agreements for partnership on various fields, Kuang said his mission is here to implement the already reached consensus while focusing on further cooperation to work together with AU towards taking the relations between the two sides to a new level.

"The Chinese government is committed to implementing the consensus. We have got much to do. My mission here is, number one, to widen and deepen our relationship with Africa, especially with the African Union. Number two, specifically to implement the consensus reached by the Chinese leaders and Her Excellency so that we can take that relationship to a new level," he said.

Upon arrival here in Addis last week, Kuang told reporters that he has been assigned to AU at a time when the partnership between China and AU is ever growing and has a lot to do.

China is keen to deepen and further strengthen cooperation with AU in different sectors including infrastructure, health, capacity building, peace and security, people-to-people exchanges, and investment, Kuang said.