CHINESE PRESIDENT HU JINTAO ON THURSDAY CALLED FOR A NEW STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND AFRICA DURING THE SECOND DAY OF HIS VISIT TO NIGERIA, WHICH SAW AFRICA AND ASIA'S MOST POPULOUS COUNTRIES PLEDGE TO INCREASE THEIR COOPERATION IN A NUMBER OF DOMAINS, DPA REPORTED. THE CHINESE LEADER AND NIGERIAN PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO AGREED TO COOPERATE FURTHER IN THE AREAS OF AGRICULTURE, POWER GENERATION, ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND HUMAN RESOURCES, ACCORDING TO A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AFTER THEIR TALKS IN ABUJA. BOTH GOVERNMENTS WOULD CONTINUE TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR GREATER BILATERAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT, THEY SAID. SPEAKING ABOUT THE LARGER AFRICAN CONTINENT, HU SAID: "AFRICA HAS RICH RESOURCES AND MARKET POTENTIALS, WHEREAS CHINA HAS AVAILABLE EFFECTIVE PRACTICES AND PRACTICAL KNOW-HOW IT HAS GAINED IN THE COURSE OF MODERNISATION." HU ALSO SOUGHT TO ALLAY FEARS IN THE WEST OF CHINA'S GROWING ECONOMIC MUSCLE. "CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT POSE A THREAT TO ANYONE. ON THE CONTRARY, IT WILL BRING MORE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO THE WORLD," THE CHINESE PRESIDENT ADDED. HU AND OBASANJO EXPRESSED THEIR READINESS "TO STEP UP COOPERATION IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, UPHOLD THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ... AND FOSTER A HARMONIOUS WORLD OF DURABLE PEACE AND COMMON PROSPERITY." HU ALSO PRAISED NIGERIA'S EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN REGIONAL PEACE AND PROMOTE AFRICAN INTEGRATION. ON WEDNESDAY, NIGERIA GRANT CHINA FOUR OIL DRILLING LICENCES IN A DEAL WORTH FOUR BILLION DOLLARS IN INVESTMENT. THE CHINESE LEADER HAS DEPARTED NIGERIA FOR KENYA, WHERE HE WILL CONCLUDE HIS SECOND AFRICAN TOUR SINCE BECOMING PRESIDENT YEARS AGO. -
