Addis Ababa, 7 May 2015- African Union Commission Chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma today congratulated the People’s Republic of China on the opening of a dedicated Mission to the African Union, the second of its nature.

Speaking at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa today, Dr Dlamini Zuma told the Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Mr Zhang Ming that the opening of the mission was “a clear sign of China’s commitment to further strengthen its strategic partnership with the African continent”.

To mark the opening of the mission, both the AUC Chairperson and Mr Zhang unveiled the plaque for the Mission.

In an earlier meeting today attended by the AU Commission’s Deputy Chairperson Mr Erastus Mwencha and Commissioners, the two leaders discussed specific areas of cooperation between Africa and China. These included: the Memorandum of Understanding signed last year, whose priority is on the development of rail and industrialisation, especially taking forward the Pan African High Speed Rail Project.

They also discussed further cooperation in the area of health, with Dr Dlamini Zuma expressing gratitude to China and other international partners for their support to the Ebola affected countries and to the deployment of the ASEOWA (African Union Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa) health workers.

Peace and security issues were on the agenda, as was the issue of the African position on the need for the United Nations Security Council to democratise and reflect the current realities of the world.

Finally, the two leaders discussed the issue raised by China, of the AU opening a representative office in Beijing, a matter that will be referred to the AU’s policy organs. WZM

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