Assembly/AU/Decl.3(XVIII) DECLARATION ON THE DONATION OF A CONFERENCE CENTRE AND OFFICE COMPLEX TO THE AFRICAN UNION BY THE PEOPLES’ REPUBLIC OF CHINA We, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union meeting at the 18th Ordinary Session of our Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 29 to 30 January 2012 on the theme of Boosting Intra-African Trade; Hereby: 1. EXPRESS our profound gratitude to the Government and People of the Peoples’ Republic of China for the generous donation of an ultra-modern state of the art Conference Centre and Office Complex to the African Union and the people of Africa, which was inaugurated and handed-over to the African Union on 28 January 2012; 2. FURTHER EXPRESS our deep appreciation to the Government and people of China for the announcement by H.E. Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the Chinese Peoples’ Political Consultative Conference, of a donation of RMB 600 million for African Union activities over the next three (3) years; 3. NOTE with appreciation and deep satisfaction the kind gesture by the Government and people of China, which is a concrete manifestation of China’s commitment to the long-standing historical and enduring relations between Africa and China, in the true spirit of South-South Cooperation; 4. UNDERTAKE to ensure the judicious use and maintenance of the facility so that it could serve as an eternal monument to Sino-African friendship and for the benefit of future generations.