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1. General picture of the bilateral relations between China and Burundi On December 21, 1963, the People's Republic of China established the diplomatic relations with the Republic of Burundi. But on January 29, 1965, the Burundi government unilaterally announced the break-up of the diplomatic relations with China. On October 13, 1971, the two countries restored the diplomatic relations and afterwards it has witnessed a favorable development. Chinese leaders and officials who visited the Republic of Burundi include: Wu Xueqian, Minister of the International Liaison Department of the CPC Central Committee (December 1979), Ji Pengfei, Vice-premier of the State Council (August 1980), Rong Yiren, Vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee (January 1985), Qi Huaiyuan, Vice-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (July 1987), Yang Fuchang, Vice-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (August 1990), Li Ruihuan, member of the Central Political Bureau of the CPC standing committee, Secretary of the Secretariat (July 1991), Qian Qichen, Member of the State Council, Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (January 1993), Wang Guangya, Vice-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (February 2000), YangWenchang, Vice-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (March 2001), Gu Xiulian, Vice-chairwoman of All China Women's Federation (March 2002), etc. Leaders and Officials who visited China from the Burundi include: Thérèse Kamyonga, Queen (March 1963), Theddée Siryuyumunsi Speaker of the National Assembly (April 1964), Artemon Simbananiye, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Planning (January 1972), Muganga Albert, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (January 1978), Jean Baptiste Bagaza, President (March 1979), Emile Mworoha, General Secretary of the UPRONA (Parti de L'Unité pour Le Progrés National) (September 1979), Laurent Nzeyimana, Minister for Foreign Relations and Cooperation (August 1983), Emile Mworoha, Speaker of the National Assembly (February 1984), Egide Nkuriyingoma, Minister of Foreign Relations and Cooperation (August 1987), Pierre Buyoya, President (February 1989 and November 1999), Cyprien Mbonimpa, Minister of Foreign Relations and Cooperation (November 1990) and Severin Ntahomvukiye, Minister of Foreign Relations and Cooperation (June 1998, October 2000) and Térence Sinunguruza, Minister of Foreign Relations and Cooperation (May 2002), etc. In October 2000, Severin Ntahomvukiye, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Joseph Ntanyotora, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism headed a delegation to attend the Beijing Ministerial Meeting 2000 of the Sino-African Cooperation Forum. On September 26, 2002, Feng Zhijun, the newly-appointed ambassador to the Republic of Burundi presented the credential to President Pierre Buyoya. 2. Economy and trade relations and economic and technological cooperation The two governments of China and Burundi signed six agreements for economic and technological cooperation respectively in 1972, 1979, 1985, 1996, 1999 and 2002. In 1981, the two sides of China and Burundi decided to set up a mixed trade commission which was expanded into a mixed commission for economic, technological and trade cooperation in 1983. During the period of 1982 ? 2002, the two parties held a total of nine mixed commission meetings respectively in Beijing and Bujumbura. The set projects aided by China for Burundi mainly include: joint textile mill in Bujumbura, Mugere Hydro-power Station, high voltage electric transmission, highway from Bujumbura to the Nile River, handicrafts-training center for making bamboo-rattan-grass products, project for putting No. 7 highway in order and so on. Since 1981, a total of eight Chinese companies of road and bridge, water-conservancy, textile, geology, agriculture and some others from Jiangsu, Chongqing and Anhui entered the Burundi market and undertook some infrastructure projects. In January 1972, the trade agreement was signed between China and Burundi, stipulating that the trade between the two countries is on cash payment basis. The Chinese side would import certain amount of coffee and cotton from Burundi and export to Burundi cotton-cloths, bikes, metal goods, agricultural tool and building materials and so on. In recent years, China began to export some small-sized sets of equipment. The year of 2002 saw the trade value of the two countries came to US$ 2.718 million, of which the export from China accounted for US$ 2.227 million while the import was 491.000 in the US dollars. 3. Other exchanges In January 1982, the Chinese and Burundi governments signed a cultural agreement. After that the Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe, Inner Mongolian Artistic Troupe, Shaanxi Acrobatic Troupe and Chinese Railway Acrobatic Troupe paid visits to Burundi and performed there one after the other. Starting from 1975, China began to accept students from Burundi to study in China, who have so far come up to 36 in all. In July 1986, the two governments signed a protocol for China to send medical team to work in Burundi. And up to now there are 3 medical teams with a total of 29 medical personnel working there in Burundi. In January 1975, the two countries signed a protocol for China to send sports-coaches to Burundi, and up to 1981, China sent there 6 batches of coaches. Since 1974, China Youth Football Team, Guangdong Men's Basketball Team and the Football Team of Liaoning went to Burundi for visits one after the other. In June 1986 and March 1991, the cities of Hefei and Bujumbura, and Qinghai with Gitega Provinces formed respectively into friendly cities and provinces. In June 1982, Charles Kazatsa, Burundi chief of the General Staff headed a military delegation to visit China and Han Huaizhi, assistant to the Chief of the General Staff headed the military delegation of the People's Liberation Army to visit Burundi. In February 1993, Leonidas Maregarege, Burundi minister of national defence visited China. In May 1999, Alfred Nkurunziza, Burundi minister of national defence visited China and in November 2002, Vincent Niyungeko, Burundi minister of national defence paid a visit to China. 4. Important bilateral agreements The joint communiqué on the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Burundi In consideration of developing the friendly relations of the two countries the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Burundi decided to resume the diplomatic relations of the two countries at the ambassadorial level as from October 13, 1971 onwards. (Chinese Foreign Ministry October 10, 2006) |
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