2010-12-01 10:51

TRIPOLI, Libya - China is willing to see the European Union (EU) provide effective help for Africa's sustainable development, said the Chinese Ambassador to Libya Wang Wangsheng on Tuesday.

"China will be glad to see the EU member states provide tailored and effective assistance to Africa countries to foster their sustainable development," Wang told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the third Africa-EU Summit.

He said the summit, with the theme of "Investment, Economic Growth and Job creation", is devoted to issues including regional integration, peace and security, information technology and climate change, all of which are common concerns of countries around the globe, including China.

Wang said Africa and Europe, with a combined population of 1.5 billion, are geographically linked with a shared historical origin and a common concern of interest.

Regarding the relations between China and Africa, Wang said the 10-year-old China-Africa cooperation forum has been playing an important role in promoting the bilateral relationship.

"With the premise of fully respecting Africa's willingness, China is willing to explore the cooperation with the international community, including the EU, in a pro-active manner to realize the sustainable development of the forum," he said.

The two-day summit, which brings together heads of state and government or their representatives from 27 EU member states and 53 African countries, assessed the progress made in the eight thematic partnership three years after the Joint EU-Africa Strategy was launched in Lisbon and mapped out a new action plan for the next three years.