YAOUNDE: Visiting President Hu Jintao proposed yesterday that China and Cameroon intensify communication at all levels and support each other on core issues.

He made the remarks in a meeting with his Cameroonian counterpart Paul Biya on the first leg of his African trip.

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Hu suggested more efforts be made on economic collaboration, in particular, agriculture, infrastructure, telecommunications and people-to-people exchanges.

Biya said: "China is a great friend of Cameroon and Cameroon is a sincere friend of China."

He said Cameroon has been making efforts to improve its investment environment and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest.

The two heads of state also exchanged views on Africa's situation. "There cannot be progress in world peace and development without stability and prosperity in Africa," Hu said.

Hu said he believed that the gradual fulfilling of commitments made by China at the Beijing summit of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation last November will usher in a new chapter in Sino-African ties.

China's voice in Africa Not just the UN but China has made a commitment to Africa. President Hu's current Africa trip shows African countries and the world that China is as good as its word.

After the talks, Hu and Biya witnessed the signing of eight documents, covering economic and technological cooperation, health, education and telecommunications.

Hu is on an eight-nation trip to Africa that will also take him to Liberia, Sudan, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and Seychelles.

Xinhua

(China Daily 02/01/2007 page1)