On the eve of a Sino-African cooperation forum, senior officials and noted scholar in Egypt, the first African country to establish diplomatic ties with new China, hailed the cooperative relations between China and Africa, saying such cooperation was a "win-win" model.

In a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed Rachid said Egyptian-Sino relations are old and distinguished based on mutual respect and agreement in views of many international and regional issues.

Egypt and China "are celebrating the 50th year of establishing the diplomatic relations and the relations between the two countries are model of diplomatic relations to other countries," said Rachid, who will accompany Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for the Chinese-African summit slated for early November in Beijing.

Egypt supports and encourages African-Sino relations based on common interests and mutual benefit, Rachid told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit touted China's long-time support for the African continent in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"The People's Republic of China, since its inception, has been in the forefront of states providing crucial support to the African continent, whether in the decolonization era or after," said Abul Gheit.

Support from new China has and continues to be much appreciated not only by the African governments but also by the African peoples, he said.

On enhancing the strategic African-Sino relations, Abul Gheit said China is now a model for African countries on how to develop and promote their exports and trade.

Abul Gheit told Xinhua that he sees no obstacles in the development of China-Africa relations.

The new African-Sino strategic relations emanate from the firm conviction and belief of the two sides that this partnership is a "win-win equation," said the top Egyptian diplomat.

"It is a partnership between equals seeking to reinforce international peace and security, a partnership for economic development and cultural cooperation," said Abul Gheit.

Abul Gheit's country established diplomatic ties with China in May of 1956, which made Egypt the first African and Arab nation to have ties with new China, which was founded on Oct. 1 of 1949.

Abdel Raouf el-Reedy, Chairman of the Egyptian Council of Foreign Affairs (ECFA), told Xinhua that African-Sino relations were deeply rooted.

In the 1950s and 1960s when African countries were fighting colonists and struggling for national independence, they won great support from new China, said Reedy, who was former Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S.

African countries in return also supported new China and helped it to regain its UN membership on Oct. 25 of 1971, said Reedy.

And nowadays, African nations are keen on enhancing economic relations with China and a better economic African-Sino relations are conducive to both China and Africa since it is a win-win path, Reedy asserted.

Reedy led an Egyptian delegation of diplomats, business persons and scholars to Beijing in mid-September to attend a forum on the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of China-Egypt Diplomatic Relations. His delegation also visited China's biggest city of Shanghai and Suzhou, a booming industrial city nearby Shanghai.

Reedy said he was very impressed by China's progress, the quality of life in China and the Chinese people during the five- day visit.

One of Reedy's delegation was Hassan Nafaa, director of the Political Science Department of prestigious Cairo University and an ECFA member, who said he was surprised at China's booming and development.

Shanghai, China's commercial hub, is just like New York, Nafaa called.

Commenting on western media allegations against African-Sino relations, Nafaa said that such criticism was neither founded nor good.

"Certain countries want to monopoly the relations with Africa, and this is imperialism and hegemony," he said, adding, "We don't like imperialism or hegemony."

"We need a strong China. We would like the Chinese to become more active in the Middle East," said Nafaa.

"China is a rising power ... we would like to see the Chinese companies playing much more important role in Africa," he told Xinhua.

China-Africa economic ties have grown rapidly in recent years, with trade between the two sides rocketing to some 40 billion U.S. dollars in 2005 from 4 billion dollars in 1995.

The China-Africa Cooperation Forum, with the theme of " Friendship, Peace, Cooperation and Development," is due on Nov. 3- 5, when Chinese and African leaders will review China-Africa friendly relations over the past 50 years, blueprint future cooperation and exchange views on major international issues.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, more than 30 African heads of state or government are going to attend the forum, the highest-level and largest-scale gathering between Chinese and African leaders since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The forum comes after Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao's visits to 10 African countries in April and June.

Source: Xinhua