China's Long-Term Partner in Africa
ORIENTALNEWS ANGOLA China’s long-term partner in Africa uAllies in times of both peace and war, in recent years the bonds between China and Angola have gone from strength to strength since Angola’s civil war ended, as the two sides work together to develop bilateral relations based on sincerity, amiability, equal- ity and mutual benefit This year marks 10 years of peace, prog- forces behind the 14-year armed struggle ress and reconstruction in West Africa’s Re- against Portuguese colonial rule, along with public of Angola, after four decades of con- the FNLA (National Liberation Front of flicts and civil war left the former Portuguese Angola) and UNITA (National Union for the colony physically, socially and economically Total Independence of Angola). The MPLA torn apart. Boasting a wealth of natural re- officially declared Angola’s independence sources, including natural gas, oil, and dia- under the slogan “One People, One Nation” monds, and vast arable lands, the country is in the capital Luanda on November 11, 1975, potentially the richest in the region. It vies and the three liberation movements agreed with Nigeria for the title of Africa’s top oil pro- to form a joint transitional government, with ducer, and the current priority for Angola’s President Jose Eduardo dos Santos at the government is to develop of other sections helm. of the economy – particularly agriculture, One of the main principles of the alliance industry, fishing and mining – to convert the was to establish a program of economic and nation’s petrodollars and untapped potential social development that could take advantage into tangible socio-economic benefits for of the country’s natural resources to improve the people.
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