Chinese premier announces eight new measures to enhance cooperation with Africa

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday announced eight new measures the Chinese government will take to strengthen China-Africa cooperation in the next three years.

Wen announced the measures in his speech at the opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which will last two days in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The eight new measures, succeeding the eight measures put forward by Chinese President Hu Jintao at the landmark Beijing Summit of the FOCAC in 2006, are aimed at pushing forward China-Africa cooperation in the next three years.

"The Chinese people cherish sincere friendship towards the African people, and China's support to Africa's development is concrete and real," said the premier.

"Whatever change may take place in the world our policy of supporting Africa's economic and social development will not change," Wen said.