Watering Sino-African Friendship Flower

From October 27 to November 7, 2006, around the end of autumn and early winter when dry leaves were rustling in the chilly wind in Beijing on the west shore of the Pacific Ocean, it was summer in the northern African countries: Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria on the east shore of the Atlantic where flowers were blooming in profusion under the bright sunshine.

Premier Zhou Enlai and Marshal Chen Yi made their first visit to African countries including the three countries mentioned above at the end of 1963, opening a new chapter in the annals of New China’s diplomacy. Forty-three years later, a CPAFFC delegation headed by its president Chen Haosu paid a goodwill visit to the three countries at the invitation of the Tunisia-China Friendship Association, the Algeria-China Friendship Association and the Morocco-China Friendship Association, bringing with it the profound friendly sentiments of the Chinese people to the African and Arab people.

The visit was one of the major activities the CPAFFC organized to mark the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of diplomatic relations between China and African and Arab countries. During the visit, what impressed us most was the sincere feelings and traditional friendship the African and Arab people cherished towards the Chinese people. The people of the three countries accorded the delegation high courtesy. At their meetings with the delegation, the leaders of these countries affirmed the traditional friendship between Africa and China and thanked China for its selfless assistance to them in their struggle for national independence and liberation. Abdelkader Bensalah, president of the Algerian National Council, said, in the early days of its founding, New China gave moral support and large amounts of material assistance to the Algerian people when it was still very difficult itself. Algeria also received great and selfless support from China in its later economic development. The cooperation between Algeria and China is based on friendship, not selfish interests. At his meeting with the delegation, Boualem Bessaieh, president of the Constitutional Council, pointed out, the people of Algeria will never forget the profound friendly sentiments of the Chinese people and always treasure the traditional friendship between Algeria and China. Abdelouahed Radi, president of the Chamber of Representatives of Morocco, said, Morocco was one of the first African and Arab countries to establish diplomatic relations with China. The stadium and other buildings China helped build in Morocco have already become symbols of Morocco-China friendship. He has served as minister of international cooperation and knows well Morocco’s cooperation with various countries. China’s cooperation with Morocco is sincere and practical, and with no strings attached. There are no unpleasant memories in the history of our bilateral relations, but true friendship between our two peoples, which is the basis and a favorable condition for expanding bilateral exchanges and cooperation. Abdallah Kallel, president of the Tunisian Chamber of Counsellors, said, although Tunisia and China are far apart in geography, the people of our two countries have supported each other in their struggle against colonialism to win national independence and liberation, helped each other in their common tasks of building up their respective countries and developing their national economies, and thus, they forged strong friendship. The Youth Home, the dams and canals China helped build in Tunisia are symbols of Tunisia-China friendship. The Chinese medical teams are friendship envoys of the Chinese people.

What moved us most happened in Algeria. One day we were invited to attend a banquet given by the president of the Algerian National People’s Assembly at noon. When we walked into the hall, we were greeted by silvery-haired elders lining up on both sides of the entrance. They were veterans of the war of independence and liberation of Algeria. Some of them were leaders of the interim Algerian national government who had been received by Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou, Marshal Chen Yi and other Chinese leaders of the older generation during their visit to China in the 1950s. Some were senior army officers who had studied in China during Algeria’s war for independence. When they learned that CPAFFC President Chen Haosu would lead a delegation to their country, they came to greet the delegation. Among those present was a former commander of the Air Force. Suffering from serious illness, he could not walk steadily. But he was determined to come with the help of others. He told Chen Haosu how he lived and studied in China, and the deep bond he had forged with the Chinese leaders and ordinary fighters. Another former army general vividly talked about how he used the knowledge and experience he had learned in China to win battles. He unpinned the medal conferred upon him by the Algerian president and put it on Chen’s chest to express his sincere feelings for the Chinese people. The veterans were high-spirited throughout the banquet, excitement and happiness shown on their faces. Their recalling of the past traditional friendship between the Algerian and Chinese people and their expectation for the consolidated friendship in the future touched all present.

During its visit to the three northern African countries, the delegation made extensive contact with personages of various circles and brought the friendship of the Chinese people to the local people. Accompanied by the minister of health of Tunisia, President Chen Haosu and his party visited the Acupuncture Centre of Marsa. The patients who were receiving the treatment told the delegation that acupuncture is very effective and popular there. Very happy upon hearing it, President Chen extended his regards to the Chinese doctors working there and expressed appreciation and admiration for their lofty spirit of daring hardships and fatigue to cure the diseases and relieve the pain of the local people; in fact, they were watering the flower of Sino-African people’s friendship with their perspiration. He hoped that through joint efforts, Chinese medicine, a treasure of traditional Chinese culture, would play a long term role on the land of Africa and benefit the African people.

When visiting the Boumerdes University and the National Library of Algeria, the delegation learned that there was a “China craze”. Many young people wanted to learn Chinese, but there were neither enough teachers nor enough Chinese books. President Chen asked the cultural counsellor of the Chinese Embassy who was accompanying the delegation on the visit about the situation, and said he would contact relevant departments upon returning home to ensure that more Chinese teachers and books would be sent to Algeria and other African countries.

An unforgettable scene appeared during the delegation’s visit in Morocco. The coach carrying the delegation from Marrakech to Capital Rabat broke down on the way. Both the delegation and the Moroccan escorts got worried, because according to the schedule, the delegation should go directly to the Parliament to meet the president of the Chamber of Representatives when the delegation arrived in the capital. To sieze time, everybody lent a helping hand to the driver who was repairing the coach. President Chen took the lead in helping push the coach and encouraged the driver. His amicable smile and calmness moved the Moroccan escorts and the driver. With the concerted efforts, the delegation arrived in the capital as scheduled and appeared at the Parliament Building on time.

The delegation’s visit to the three northern African countries coincided with the convening of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Algerian President, Moroccan Prime Minister, Tunisian ministers, among scores of heads of state and government leaders of other African countries, gathered in Beijing to discuss matters concerning Sino-African friendship and cooperation. Sino-African relations became the focus of attention of all Chinese and African people. When meeting with the delegation, the leaders of the three countries and personages of various circles all expressed that the Beijing Summit was a grand event and a milestone in the history of Sino-African exchanges, and a new chapter of Sino-African friendship, which demonstrated to the world the long history of friendship between China and Africa and the great vitality of Sino-African solidarity and cooperation. The 82-year-old Mahjoubi Aherdane, president of Morocco-China Friendship Association, was very happy those days. As president of the Union of Popular Movements and a well-known painter and poet, he is always busy. He paid special attention to the news about the Beijing Summit. When hosting a banquet in honour of the delegation, he said, the Beijing Summit would set the direction for Sino-African friendship and cooperation in the new century. As organizations promoting friendship between the two countries, it is our responsibility and duty to contribute to the smooth development of Sino-African friendship and cooperation. He said, like flowers, friendship and cooperation between China and Africa need constant watering. President Chen Haosu nodded in agreement. The two sides pledged to work together to water the flower so that it would bloom forever.