Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday proposed building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era at a meeting reviewing the progress made in China-Africa cooperation.
At the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Dakar, Senegal, last November, China announced it would implement nine programs jointly with African countries, demonstrating sustained cooperation and commitment to the continent.
Wang said the two sides had implemented those decisions with good progress and brought tangible benefits to the African people in his speech to the Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which he hosted via video link.
China and Africa have worked with absolute sincerity to safeguard international fairness and justice, push forward infrastructural construction to facilitate the industrialization drive of Africa, jointly cope with the global food crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, pursue sustainable development through clean energy cooperation and climate change response, and promote regional peace and stability, Wang said.
Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the African Union (AU), Wang said China and Africa should unite more closely to pursue common development and revitalization and earnestly build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosts the Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on the FOCAC via video link, August 18, 2022. /Chinese Foreign Ministry
He then put forward a five-point proposal:
First, both sides should uphold the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and strengthen unity and mutual assistance. China is ready to work with Africa to carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, practice true multilateralism and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.
Second, both sides should be committed to common development. China will continue to take an active role in Africa’s major infrastructure construction, continue to increase imports from Africa, support the growth of Africa’s agriculture and manufacturing industries, and expand cooperation in emerging industries.
Third, both sides should be committed to independence and jointly promote regional peace. China will continue to support African solutions to African issues, oppose external interference in the internal affairs of African countries, and oppose creating confrontations and conflicts in Africa.
Fourth, both sides should uphold traditional friendship and promote people-to-people exchanges. China is ready to overcome difficulties caused by the pandemic and help African students who previously studied in China to return. China supports think tanks, media, non-governmental organizations, youth and women of both sides to strengthen exchanges and cooperation.
Fifth, both sides should adhere to openness and win-win cooperation to promote the sound development of international cooperation with Africa.
The Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on the FOCAC is held via video link, August 18, 2022. /Chinese Foreign Ministry
The meeting was attended by Aissata Tall Sall, foreign minister of Senegal, the African co-chair country of the FOCAC, as well as representatives of African subregions and the AU Commission, and diplomatic envoys of African countries in China.
They reaffirmed their adherence to the principles of international fairness and justice and non-interference in internal affairs and to the one-China principle, and their firm support for China’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The African side is willing to work with China to continue to strengthen the construction of forum mechanisms and promote the continuous upgrading of Africa-China cooperation, according to the African diplomats.
The meeting also adopted the Joint Statement of the Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC.
(With input from Xinhua)