Chinese President Xi meets 11 African leaders over breakfast

By Park Sae-jin Posted : March 29, 2013, 15:54 Updated : March 29, 2013, 15:54
Chinese President Xi Jinping met over breakfast with leaders of 11 African countries in Durban, South Africa, Thursday, CCTV reported.

They were visiting South Africa to attend the BRICs Leaders-Africa Dialogue Forum.

Those present at the breakfast meeting included Presidents Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma of South Africa, Eduardo dos Santos of Angola, Alassane Ouattara of Cote d'Ivoire, Yayi Boni of Benin, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea.

Also present at the meeting were leaders from Mozambique, Guinea, Chad, Ethiopia and Algeria.

During the meeting, Xi pledged to unswervingly hold friendly policies toward the continent regardless of changing international circumstances, according to the Global Times, an affiliate of the People's Daily.

Xi told the leaders that China will be a reliable friend and genuine partner of African countries forever, and contribute more to peace and development in the continent.

African leaders said China‘s investment and aid assisted economic and social development on the continent, the report said.

They said the facts have proved that China is Africa’s reliable friend and partner, and that accusations of China pursuing “neocolonialism” in Africa are groundless, the Global Times said.

After his trip to South Africa, Xi is scheduled to visit the Republic of Congo on the final leg of a four-nation trip that also brought him to Tanzania and Russia.

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