On May 17, 2007, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Quan met in the office building of the Foreign Ministry with a 19-member joint press delegation from 14 English-speaking African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Lesotho, Zambia, Uganda, Botswana, Ghana, Namibia, Liberia, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone. Kong took questions from journalists of the delegation on such issues as China's foreign policy, energy strategy, multipolarity of the world, China-Africa economic and trade relations and China's "neocolonialism" in Africa.

Kong said strengthening unity and cooperation with African countries remains an important cornerstone of China's foreign policy and Chinese people have always been holding friendly feelings to African people. China adheres to a friendly policy towards Africa and has been developing ties with Africa in a principle of sincere friendship, equal treatment, mutual benefits and common development, said Kong. China is the largest developing country, while Africa is a continent housing the largest concentration of developing countries, Kong said, adding that both China and the African continent face a heavy task of safeguarding peace and promoting development. To establish a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership featuring political equality and mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation and cultural exchange conforms to the fundamental interests of the Chinese and African peoples and is also conducive to world peace and development, he said.

Kong emphasized that strengthening exchanges and cooperation in the area of journalism helps to increase mutual understanding between the people of China and Africa and promote a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership. He hoped that the delegation members will, through this visit, learn more about China and China's Africa policy, and introduce to their people back home the friendly feelings of the Chinese government and people to African people, as well as China's sincere aspiration to further develop friendly cooperation with Africa.

President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalist (SLAJ) Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo, who is also head of the delegation, said during the visit the delegation members have experienced in person the warm and friendly feelings of the Chinese government and people to the African people. The countries in Africa deem China a model to other developing nations and are ready to learn from China's successful experience in rapid economic growth. The delegation members expressed hope to gain a comprehensive, in-depth understanding of China through this visit and after returning home provide to their people an objective, full and accurate coverage of China's development as well as of China's Africa policy and active efforts to build up traditional friendship and promote pragmatic cooperation with Africa.

The delegation is visiting China at the invitation of the Information Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry with its members including editors-in-chief and senior reporters of relevant TV and radio stations, newspapers and other mainstream media. Besides Beijing, they will also visit Guizhou and Zhejiang.