Premier Wen encourages youth to promote Sino-African friendship

BEIJING, Aug. 14 -- Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday urged young Chinese and Africans to remember the traditional friendship and work together to promote Sino-African relations.

"I hope young people from China and African countries will learn from each other and help each other, treat differences with an open mind, and contribute your wisdom and strength to building the strategic China-Africa partnership," Wen said.

He made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the third China-Africa Youth Festival and a farewell ceremony for young Chinese volunteers departing for Africa.

The festival, originally proposed by Wen at the second China-Africa Cooperation Ministerial Conference in Ethiopia in December 2003, has become a platform for China-Africa exchanges.

"Young people bear the hope of a nation and they also shoulder the future of a friendly China-Africa relationship," Wen said, expressing his hope young people would fulfill their historic responsibilities and create better conditions for friendship development.

The Chinese government decided in 2006 to send 300 young volunteers to Africa to work in medical, agricultural, sports and educational field.

Wen encouraged the volunteers to serve the African people with their knowledge and skills, win their friendship and trust, and learn from them.

More than 750 guests, including youth delegates from 49 African countries, attended the ceremony.