- The President of the People’s Republic of China called for a cooperation that prioritises the people.
- He said his country is ready to support all countries in exploring modernisation paths befitting their national conditions.
Image: HANDOUT
Over the last few days, African leaders gathered in Beijing, China for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Most if not all the leaders present had a chance to engage with the Chinese leadership on how to strengthen bilateral and collective ties as a continent.
The three-day event ran from Wednesday, September 4 through to Friday, September 6, 2024.
FOCAC started in 2000 and has been growing stronger over the last 24 years.
“The friendship between China and Africa transcends time and space, surmounts mountains and oceans, and passes down through generations. The founding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000 was a milestone in the history of China-Africa relations," President Xi Jinping said in his opening remarks.
“Over the past 24 years, especially in the new era, China has advanced forward hand-in-hand with our African brothers and sisters in the spirit of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith…We get stronger and more resilient together by riding the tide of economic globalisation, delivering tangible benefits to billions of ordinary Chinese and Africans,” he observed.
From the forum, China pledged a Sh6.4 trillion ($50 billion) investment to Africa over the next three years.
According to Xi who focused on modernisation as the theme of his remarks, China is ready to increase exchanges of governance experience with Africa.
He said his country is ready to support all countries in exploring modernisation paths befitting their national conditions.
In achieving this, President Xi said African countries should not only follow the general rules, but also act in light of national realities.
He pushed for mutually beneficial cooperation for the betterment of long-term and fundamental interests of all countries.
President Xi said the partnerships can be in industry, agriculture, infrastructure, trade and investment, as well as high-quality Belt and Road cooperation projects.
The President of the People’s Republic of China called for a cooperation that prioritises the people.
He said China will work with African countries to promote personnel training, poverty reduction and employment.
This will extend to enhancing the sense of gain, happiness and security of the people, he observed.
Xi said China is also looking to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Africa, champion mutual respect, inclusiveness and coexistence of different civilizations.
He laid emphasis on eco-friendly development, saying that China is ready to help Africa build “green growth engines,” narrow the gap in energy accessibility, adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and jointly push for the global transition to green and low-carbon development.
President Xi also committed to improve its capacity in safeguarding peace and stability independently, prioritise Africa in implementing the Global Security Initiative (GSI), as well as promote mutual reinforcement of high-quality development and greater security.
Xi said that his country is also ready to work with African countries to uphold world peace and stability.
“Africa is also awakening again and the continent is marching in solid strides toward the modernisation goals set forth in the AU’s Agenda, 2063.
“China and Africa’s joint pursuit of modernisation will set off a wave of modernisation in the Global South and open a new chapter in our drive for a community with a shared future for mankind,” Xi said.