Beninese President Thomas Boni Yayi, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, Zimbabwean President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, and Nigerien President Mamadou Tandja said their countries will firmly pursue the one-China policy.

 

They made the remarks in Beijing Monday in a meeting with President Hu Jintao. They came to China for the two-day Beijing Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Forty eight African countries that have diplomatic relations with China participated in the largest gathering between Chinese and African leaders.

 

The five leaders warmly congratulated China's successful holding of the summit, speaking highly of the fruitful achievements made at the summit, which is of great importance for Africa and African development.

 

It showed the Chinese government and people's sincerity to African people, they said, appreciating the important contributions China had made in hosting the summit.

 

Hu thanked the African leaders for attending the summit, hoping China and African countries take joint effort to actively implement the commitments of the summit, so as to push the China-Africa relations to a new level.

 

He said he appreciated five countries' adherence to the one-China policy.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2006)