Togolese media hails Togo-China cooperation

Major news outlets in Togo have commended President Faure Gnassingbe's meeting with Chinese Presdient Xi Jinping one day before the Johannesburg Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that kicked off Friday in South Africa.

Local media has hailed the over 40 years of cooperation between Togo and China.

Forum de la Semaine, a major independent newspaper, said the two heads of state discussed issues covering economy, transport system and health.

It said China was committed to providing "unwavering support" to Togo.

The website republicoftogo.com, which is close to the government, reported that President Xi appreciated the political and economic relationships with Lome and pledged to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture and health sectors.

"Xi Jinping expressed the desire to make the Lome port area an industrial hub, which will facilitate the implementation of labor creative Chinese companies," the website reported.

The weekly Togo Reveil commented that China was present in Togo on a win-win partnership concept.

Bi-weekly L'Union said President Xi's pledges would promote prosperity between his country and Africa by helping African countries tackle "their industrial and economic integration challenge."

The national daily newspaper Togo Presse devoted a page to the cooperation between the two countries through an interview with a former Chinese diplomat Ni Lukang.

Ni worked at the Chinese embassy in Togo from 1977 to 1985 when he resigned from his post. He has since lived in Togo.

Ni said he had witnessed cooperation between China and Togo since the establishment of their diplomatic ties in 1972.

Many China-funded projects had been built and people-to-people exchanges organized, he said. Endit