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On May 11, the State Councilor and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi, spoke by telephone with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, from Angola.
Wang said China and Angola are important strategic partners that enjoy strong political confidence and a good growth momentum in bilateral relations. China is encouraged to see that under the leadership of President João Lourenço, the Angolan government has taken decisive action and made good progress in the fight against COVID-19. Two batches of in-kind assistance from the Chinese government arrived in Angola. China will continue to share experiences with Angola and facilitate the acquisition of medical supplies from China.
Pointing to the large number of Chinese companies and staff in Angola, Wang expressed his confidence that Angola would take good care of its health and safety and protect its legitimate rights and interests. He added that China is ready to build on the deep friendship between the two peoples and consolidate public support for bilateral ties through more interactions between sister cities.
Wang noted that China and Africa have a long friendship and a tradition of helping and supporting each other in difficult times. China is very interested in its African brothers in the face of the COVID-19 challenge. Despite the demanding home situation, China has shipped multiple tranches of emergency supplies to African countries. Local governments and various social sectors in China have also extended a helping hand.
So far, China has dispatched expert teams to the five subregions of Africa, benefiting countries in its neighborhood. Almost 30 video conferences were organized with African experts. Chinese medical teams in Africa conducted nearly 400 training sessions to share experiences, benefiting more than 20,000 local health workers. China takes COVID-19’s adverse impact on Africa’s economy seriously. It has lobbied and supported the G20’s suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries and will work shoulder to shoulder with Africa at this difficult time.
Wang said the virus poses a common challenge to humanity and requires a united response from the international community. He expressed confidence that African brothers, including Angola, will protect themselves against attempts to use the virus as an excuse to discredit China or sow discord between China and Africa. He hoped that Africa would join China in giving unconditional support to the World Health Organization.
António praised China’s important contribution to the global response, thanked China’s strong support and selfless assistance, and thanked China for taking good care of Angolan students in China. He expressed Angola’s readiness for closer cooperation in the fight against the virus and more sister city interactions with China to deepen solidarity and friendship between the two countries and peoples. He noted the UA’s unanimous support for WHO and Director General Tedros and the great reception they have received from various sectors. He noted that the only way countries can defeat the virus, this common enemy, is through increased solidarity and cooperation and with the help of WHO.
