Full Text: Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao's speech at the opening ceremony of the 4th China-Africa People's Forum (1)

Following is the full text of the speech of Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao at the opening ceremony of the 4th China-Africa People's Forum in Yiwu of east China's Zhejiang Province on Wednesday.

Deepening People-to-people Exchanges and Cooperation to Jointly Build China-Africa Community of Shared Destinies

Keynote Speech by Mr. Li Yuanchao

Vice President of the People's Republic of China

August 26, 2015 Yiwu, Zhejiang

Mr. Dama Dramani, president of the National Assembly of Togo,

Mr. Richard Msowoya, speaker of the National Assembly of Malawi,

Mr. Hifikepunye Pohamba, former president of Namibia,

Mr. Abdelrahman M. Hassan Sawar Elzahab, former head of state of Sudan, Mr. Joseph Chilengi, presiding officer of Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

Today, the 4th China-Africa People's Forum is held in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province. On behalf of the government and people of China, I extend warmest welcome to friends from Africa, United Nations and the African Union.

The China-Africa People's Forum is an institutionalized supporting event of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation highly regarded by the Chinese government, African countries, United Nations and the African Union. Since its initiation in 2011, the Forum has become a bridge for communication and exchanges, and a platform for experience-sharing on development between the Chinese and African people. This year, the Forum, with the theme "Joining Efforts Towards Building China-Africa Community of Shared Destinies and Embracing New Horizon in People-to-People Friendship," is of especially significant relevance.

China and Africa have always been a community with shared destinies. Similar historical experiences, same development tasks, and linked strategic interests underpin the mutual trust, solidarity and cooperation between the Chinese and African people. In the struggles against imperialism and colonialism for national independence and liberation, the people of China and Africa sympathized with, and supported each other, thus forging an indestructible friendship. In our independent explorations for development paths that suit our national conditions, the Chinese and African people have learned and helped each other, and respectively made remarkable achievements of development. At present, the African people are heading towards Agenda 2063 and the African dream of self-development through unity and growth, while the Chinese people are striving for the Two Centenary Goals and the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The development strategies of China and Africa provide opportunities for each other, and the dreams of China and African people are linked. More than ever, China and Africa need to jointly build a community of shared destinies.

People-to-people exchanges are the root and foundation of such a community of shared destinies. President Xi Jinping of China stressed that "Friendly relations between the Chinese and African people will always be a solid cornerstone for the development of China-African relations." He fully endorsed the missions of the China-Africa People's Forum - promoting voices from the people, friendship among the people and cooperation for the people. I believe this important notion of President Xi provides significant guidance in the joint efforts of the Chinese and African people to build a community of shared destinies.(mo