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　　President Hu Jintao’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya is 　　aimed at affirming traditional ties, as well as opening new areas of cooperation
　　Following his visit to the United States last month, Chinese President Hu Jintao chose Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya as the destinations for his next trip.
　　During his visit in late April, Hu and leaders of the four countries held talks on promoting bilateral relations while also signing agreements and contracts.
　　The most significant achievement of the Chinese leader’s visit was cooperation in the energy field, especially with Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.
　　China and Saudi Arabia signed energy and trade deals on April 23. Hu also discussed a proposed $5.2 billion energy venture in China with officials of the Saudi petrochemical giant Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC).
　　Hu and Saudi King Abdullah presided over the signing of a series of cooperation agreements that included a framework accord in the energy area between China’s Sinopec and Saudi Aramco, as well as a security agreement and accords on cooperation in health and youth affairs.
　　The energy deal provides for strengthened cooperation in gas exploration and possible cooperation in oil exploration between Sinopec and Aramco. The Chinese company is already drilling for gas in the Saudi desert and building a refinery with Aramco in the Chinese province of Fujian. Another joint refinery venture is planned in Qingdao City, Shandong Province. It is reported that Aramco also promised a daily 1-million-barrel crude oil transfer to China before 2010--about 140,000 tons each day, or 50.4 million tons every year.
　　
　　Refinery venture
　　
　　Hu discussed a proposed Saudi-Chinese venture to build a refinery and petrochemical complex in China with officials of SABIC, Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thunayan al-Saud, the company’s chairman, said. Under the proposed venture, valued at $5.2 billion, SABIC will build the petrochemical complex while its Chinese partner, Dalian Shide, will build the refinery, he said.
　　STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP: Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao meets with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital
　　China’s Commerce Ministry said the trade volume between the two countries hit $2.7 billion during the first two months of 2006, a 43 percent rise from the same period last year. The kingdom exported some 22.18 million tons of oil to China last year, becoming its biggest crude supplier.
　　“With abundant oil resources and a stable political environment, Saudi Arabia is an ideal trade partner of China in the Middle East,” said Yang Guang, Director of the Western Asia and Africa Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, adding that the two economies complement each other.
　　Earlier this year, the Saudi Arabian Government announced a series of plans aimed at attracting foreign investment of $624 billion within 15 years to boost the development of its major industries such as natural gas, electricity, water desalination, railway construction and telecommunications. “This means great opportunities for Chinese companies,” Yang noted.
　　China and Nigeria signed a joint communiqué on bilateral relations April 27 in Abuja during Hu’s visit to the West African country. The two sides shared the view that China and Nigeria have great potential and broad prospects for economic cooperation and agreed to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, electricity, infrastructure construction, energy, telecommunications and human resources development. The two governments will continue to encourage entrepreneurs of the two countries to increase exchanges and expand cooperation and will create favorable conditions to facilitate bilateral trade and investment.
　　China and Nigeria signed a number of agreements, including one awarding China four oil-drilling licenses in the African country. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Edmund Daukoru said the Sino-Nigerian agreement “is a formalization of the four oil block contracts, which include the maintenance and management of the Kaduna refinery and the setting up of a power generating station.”
　　In exchange, China will grant Nigeria 40 million yuan for infrastructure construction and 5 million yuan for anti-malaria drugs, training for Nigerians to control malaria and bird flu, and cooperation in technology, according to other agreements signed the same day. Prior to Hu’s visit to the country, China’s top offshore oil and gas producer, China National Offshore Oil Corp. Ltd., completed a deal to buy a stake in a Nigerian oil-drilling license, its biggest overseas acquisition.
　　Some observers concluded that Hu’s trip was “a tour for oil,” but his visit sought more than oil, experts say.
　　The tour of four Asian and African nations signifies China’s intention to maintain its strong ties to the developing world despite its own economic rise, Yu Wensheng, a research fellow with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told China Daily.
　　During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Hu reaffirmed that China has chosen and will adhere to the path of peaceful development while continuing to play a constructive role on the world stage. He added that China will also make efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region, in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.
　　“Hu’s visits to the four countries are aimed at reinforcing traditional ties with old friends and discussing with them new areas, ways and subjects of cooperation in a bid to inject new energy into their cooperation,” Yu said.
　　
　　More Africa trade
　　
　　This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and African countries. Hu exchanged ideas and held face-to-face discussions with the leaders of his host nations on bilateral and China-Africa ties, in addition to jointly planning the future of Sino-African relations. They also prepared for the “Asia-Africa Cooperation Forum” and Beijing Summit later this year.
　　The trade volume between China and Africa, a mere $12 million in 1950, jumped to $10.5 billion in 2000, $29.4 billion in 2004 and nearly $40 billion in 2005. The complementary structure of Sino-Africa economic cooperation will bring a win-win situation to the two sides. For example, based on the Kenyan Government’s policy of attracting investment and the Chinese Government’s strategy of “going out,” many Chinese companies, particularly in the private sector, have continued to explore business opportunities in Kenya in recent years, making profits as well as benefiting the Kenyan people and society.
　　“The [Kenyan] Government’s keen focus on the Far East, and especially China, is based on the realization that the region offers vast economic opportunities. China alone has a population of 1.3 billion people, which translates into a massive market for Kenya’s goods and services,” said a statement issued by the Kenyan Presidential Press Service.
　　Describing African nations as “good friends, good partners and good brothers” of China in an address to Nigeria’s National Assembly, Hu stressed that more efforts are needed to build “a new type of strategic partnership in the new era.”
　　He also called for more innovative efforts to intensify the partnership with Africa that should cover politics, economy, security and international affairs, reiterating that China’s growth is “not a threat” to others.
　　Yu said, “The visit will also enhance political mutual trust, and expand mutual benefit and cooperation, helping to raise bilateral relations with each of the countries to a new high.”
　　China’s Relations with Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya
　　China and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Mutual Establishment of a Trade Representative’s Office on November 11, 1988. Trade representatives from the two countries assumed their posts in 1989. On July 21, 1990, China and Saudi Arabia announced the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
　　China’s main exports to Saudi Arabia are garments, mechanical and electronic products and textiles. China mainly imports crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas and primary plastics from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is now China’s largest trading partner in western Asia and North Africa. In 2005, the trade volume between the two countries exceeded $16 billion, up 56 percent from the previous year.
　　The bilateral trade volume hit $2.7 billion during the first two months of 2006, up 43 percent from the same period last year, the latest statistics from the Ministry of Commerce revealed. Of the total, China’s export volume totaled $480 million, up 21 percent year-on-year, while that of Saudi Arabia was $2.21 billion, up 49 percent.
　　China and Morocco established diplomatic relations in November 1958. China has provided economic aid to Morocco since 1961. Cooperation between China and Morocco was initiated in 1983. Presently, China’s projects in Morocco primarily involve fishery cooperation. The commodities that China exports to Morocco mainly are light industrial products, textiles, green tea, and mechanical and electronic products. China imports phosphates, chemical fertilizer and cobalt sand.
　　China dispatched its first medical team to Morocco in September 1975. The China-Morocco agreement on medical cooperation was renewed in 1998. Currently, there are 120 medical workers working in different medical stations in Morocco.
　　China-Morocco trade reached about $149 million in 2005, increasing 28 percent from the previous year.
　　China and Nigeria established diplomatic relations on February 10, 1971. Bilateral relations have achieved a smooth and steady development ever since. China and Nigeria signed a number of agreements on trade, economic and technical cooperation and scientific and technological cooperation, as well as an agreement on investment protection.
　　The two countries have set up a joint economic and trade commission. Up to now, China has established more than 30 solely funded companies or joint ventures in Nigeria. Cooperation over a wide range of sectors is growing rapidly, with the bilateral trade volume hitting $2.83 billion in 2005, increasing 29.6 percent from the previous year.
　　China and Kenya established diplomatic relations on December 14, 1963. In recent years, their bilateral economic and cultural cooperation has been further strengthened. The total bilateral trade value amounted to $475 million in 2005, up nearly 30 percent from 2004.
　　Popular Chinese export products include machinery, textiles, agricultural tools and consumable goods while the main imports from Kenya include fruits, scrap copper, cotton, hides and skins, coffee and tea.

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