By ZHANG YUNBI 04-09-2024

Ministerial officials from China and 53 African countries gathered on Tuesday in Beijing and unanimously approved drafts of the agenda and outcome documents to be adopted at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Over 300 participants attended the 9th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC to make all-around preparations for the three-day summit that starts on Wednesday.

Attendees at the conference included foreign ministers and ministers of economy of the 53 African nations as well as representatives of international and regional organizations such as the African Union.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was co-chair of the ministerial conference, said that during the summit this week, President Xi Jinping will work with African leaders to “draw a new blueprint for the development of China-Africa relations and lead the way forward for the Global South”.

The rise of the Global South, as represented by China and Africa, has a profound influence on the development process of mankind, Wang said, adding that the summit “will surely set a new milestone in the Global South’s joint efforts in marching toward modernization”.

Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Luo Zhaohui, head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, briefed the meeting on the implementation of the outcomes of the 8th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC held three years ago, as well as on China-Africa development cooperation and China’s assistance to the continent.

Since the establishment of FOCAC in 2000, the two sides have respected each other, treated each other as equals, and achieved mutual benefits and win-win results, said the attendees from Africa.

They thanked China for its firm support for Africa on multiple occasions and for speaking out to correct historical injustices inflicted upon Africa.

The African side expressed its willingness to work closely with China to make this year’s summit a success, promote synergy between the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the series of global initiatives, and realize common development and prosperity.

Observers noted that China and Africa have closely cooperated on global governance and sustainable development, vigorously safeguarding the common interests of developing countries.

China has provided nearly 20,000 government scholarships to African countries and trained more than 10,000 short-term trainees.

Senegalese Foreign Minister Yassine Fall, also co-chair of the ministerial conference, said that China-Africa cooperation “has become a unique example of South-South cooperation”.

Fall also expressed her appreciation for President Xi’s support and his commitment to strengthening Africa-China relations. “This is especially precious, given the current context of emerging crises on many fronts, including geopolitics, security and climate,” she said.

Over the past three years, China-Africa cooperation in many fields, ranging from infrastructure, agriculture, energy and health to peace and security, has “achieved tangible results” and is “dynamic and promising”, Fall added.

Foreign Minister Wang noted that the two sides have kept pace with the changing times to ensure the efficient operation of the FOCAC mechanism, “continuously leading the trend of international cooperation with Africa”.

Strengthening unity and cooperation between the 2.8 billion Chinese and African people will surely inject new momentum into cooperation in the Global South and break new ground in building a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

Ref: China Daily