Chinese Premier vows to upgrade cooperation with Cameroon

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday held talks with Cameroonian Prime Minister Philemon Yang, vowing to upgrade mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides.

Li called on the two countries to build a model of production capacity cooperation between China and Africa.

Li suggested the two sides enhance cooperation in equipment manufacture, technology, investment and financing, so as to meet Cameroon's needs of developing infrastructure in electric power, port, industrial park, high way, railway, telecommunication and urban water-supply system.

China encourages its enterprises of construction materials, steel, textile, plate glass and cement to invest in Cameroon, to help the country to accelerate its industrialization process, he said.

China is willing to work with Cameroon to promote cooperation in civil aviation, agriculture and human resources development, in a bid to upgrade the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two nations, said the premier.

It is a major cornerstone of China's foreign policy to improve solidarity and cooperation with developing countries, he said.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC), said Li, noting that China and African countries will hold the sixth ministerial meeting of the forum.

China will work with Africa to push forward the six cooperative projects, including industry, finance, poverty reduction, ecological environment protection, people-to-people exchanges, peace and security, said Li.

China is willing to join hands with Africa to build the continent's networks of high-speed railway, expressway and regional aviation and push forward the industrialization of the continent, he added.

Philemon thanked China for its long-term support to the economic and social development of Cameroon.

Cameroon is willing to consolidate the friendly relations with China, he said, hoping the two countries to enhance cooperation in infrastructure building, iron-ore mining, hydropower station and sports facilities construction.

He welcomed Chinese enterprises to invest in Cameroon, saying Cameroon is ready work with China to promote the in-depth development of Africa-China ties.

Before the talks, Li hosted a welcome ceremony for Philemon at the eastern square of the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.

After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a number of cooperative documents in economy, technology, infrastructure, and cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises.

Philemon placed a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes in the heart of Beijing on Thursday morning.

He is paying an official visit to China from June 17 to 21, at the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang. Endi