Xi Jinping and Senegalese President Macky Sall
exchange congratulatory messages on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the FOCAC
On October 12, President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Macky Sall, President of Senegal (co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)), on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the FOCAC.
Xi Jinping and Macky Sall emphasized in their messages that on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the FOCAC, China and Senegal, as the co-chairs of the FOCAC, would like to celebrate this important and special moment with African countries.
Xi Jinping and Macky Sall noted that the FOCAC has become an important and active platform for collective dialogue and an effective mechanism for pragmatic cooperation between China and Africa with the joint efforts of the two sides over the past 20 years, and that the FOCAC is also an important banner of South-South cooperation. China and Africa have always adhered to the people-centered principle and committed themselves to develop a high-quality and comprehensive strategic partnership. The outcomes of the forum can benefit Chinese and African people. The FOCAC Beijing Summit 2018 is a great success. China and Africa have unanimously decided to build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, which defines the direction for the future development of China-Africa relations.
Xi Jinping and Macky Sall pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has a huge impact on the world economy, is a severe challenge faced by mankind. China and Africa are willing to jointly address various risks and challenges with the spirit of unity and cooperation. In this way, China-Africa cooperation can become a model of multilateralism and mutual benefit, making contributions to safeguarding international fairness and justice.
Xi Jinping and Macky Sall stressed that China and Africa are willing to work jointly with other members of the forum to improve the forum mechanism and make the forum play a leading role in the China-Africa relations with the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. China and Africa pay attention to seek synergy between China's Two Centenary Goals and African Union's (AU) Agenda 2063. By implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit and the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19, both sides will enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership and contribute to a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, so as to benefit the Chinese and African people and create a better future for mankind. Xi Jinping and Macky Sall believed that the FOCAC to be held in Senegal in 2021 will further promote the realization of the common goals of both sides.
China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 11 consecutive years. As one of the most important sources of external investment and financing of Africa, China contributes the most to the construction of transportation and power infrastructure in Africa. China, together with Africa, has established many economic and trade cooperation zones and industrial parks, which accelerates the process of industrialization and economic diversification in Africa.
Over the past 20 years, FOCAC has become an important and active platform for collective dialogue and an effective mechanism for pragmatic cooperation between China and Africa, a model of multilateralism and mutual benefit and an important banner of South-South cooperation.
October 2000
The First Ministerial Conference of FOCAC held in Beijing mainly proposed four measures: China would continue to provide assistance for Africa within its capacity; reduce or exempt the debts of heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) and least developed countries in Africa; provide special funds to support Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa; establish the African Human Resources Development Fund to train all kinds of talent for Africa.
December 2003
The Second Ministerial Conference of FOCAC was held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. China would continue to provide more assistance for Africa and train 10,000 talented people in various fields for Africa within three years; provide tariff-free access to some goods from the least developed African countries; enhance tourism cooperation; promote people-to-people exchanges.
November 2006
The Beijing Summit announced eight policy measures: China would provide more support for Africa; offer a loan of USD 5 billion to Africa within three years according to the Chinese Government Concessional Loan and Preferential Export Buyer’s Credit; establish the China-Africa Development Fund and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa; help construct the convention center of the AU headquarters; exempt the debts of HIPC and least developed countries in Africa; give more market access to African products; establish 3-5 overseas economic and trade cooperation zones in Africa; cultivate and train 15,000 talented people in various fields for Africa.
November 2009
The Fourth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. China would establish a partnership with Africa to deal with climate change; initiate the China-Africa Science and Technology Partnership Program; set up the special loan for the development of African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and exempt the debts of HIPC and least developed countries in Africa; provide tariff-free access to 95% of products from the least developed African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China. China would also help African countries ensure food safety; provide them with medical equipment and antimalarial supplies; train 3,000 medical care personnel; help build 50 schools that symbolize the China-Africa friendship; train 20,000 talented people in various fields for Africa within three years; initiate the China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Program.
July 2012
The Fifth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC was held in Beijing. China would decide to provide concessional loans to Africa to support infrastructure construction projects; expand assistance to Africa in various fields; support the African integration process; initiate the China-Africa People-to-People Friendship Action; launch the "Initiative on China-Africa Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Security".
December 2015
At the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit, two sides decided to implement the "10 major China-Africa cooperation plans", covering the fields of industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure construction, finance, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and public welfare, public health, people-to-people exchanges, peace and security and others. It comprehensively shows and summarizes the current situation and depth of China-Africa cooperation in various fields.
September 2018
In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the FOCAC Beijing Summit 2018, Xi Jinping proposed the decision to set up China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in China.
The China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo is jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) and the People's Government of Hunan Province. It chooses Hunan as a long-term settlement and will be held every two years. The Expo is a new platform for implementing the economic and trade initiatives of FOCAC and a new window for local economic and trade cooperation with Africa.
At the Regular Press Conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China on October 12, a reporter asked: President Xi Jinping exchanges congratulatory messages with Macky Sall, President of Senegal (co-chair of FOCAC), on the 20th anniversary of the founding of FOCAC to celebrate this important and special moment with African countries. How does China evaluate the achievements of the 20th anniversary of the forum?
Zhao Lijian: President Xi Jinping and Senegalese President Macky Sall exchange congratulatory messages on the 20th anniversary of the founding of FOCAC, which shows that they put a high value on the forum and it is also the common aspiration of all the members.
20 years ago, the FOCAC emerged at the right moment. Over the past 20 years, the forum with a remarkable journey has become an important and active platform for collective dialogue and an effective mechanism for pragmatic cooperation between China and Africa, and an important banner of South-South cooperation. It contributes to the leap-forward development of China-Africa relations, deepening mutual political understanding, comprehensive expansion of pragmatic cooperation, and closer people-to-people exchanges. With real achievements, it has been highly recognized by African countries and widely praised by the international community.
The development of China-Africa relations is always ongoing and will never end. Taking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the forum as an opportunity, China and Africa will continue to adhere to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, constantly enrich and improve the mechanism of the forum, comprehensively promote the implementation of the outcomes to drive the China-Africa comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level, build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, and benefit Chinese and African people. China-Africa cooperation can become a model of multilateralism and mutual benefit, and it will continue to make positive contributions to safeguarding international fairness and justice and promoting world development and prosperity.
The continuous development of FOCAC is conducive to stronger demand for China-Africa pragmatic cooperation. The trade volume between China and Africa exceeded USD 200 billion in 2019. China has become Africa's largest trading partner for 11 consecutive years. China's direct investment stock in Africa has reached USD 110 billion, and more than 3,700 Chinese enterprises have invested in Africa. China has vigorously carried out cooperation on infrastructure construction with African countries, building more than 6,000 kilometers of railways and highways, nearly 20 ports and over 80 large power facilities in Africa. Projects such as Mombasa–Nairobi SGR in Kenya and Maputo–Katembe Bridge in Mozambique undertaken by Chinese enterprises have become shining "national cards"...
The continuous development of FOCAC is conducive to more frequent people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa. China has established 61 Confucius Institutes in African countries, and Africa's unique cultural landscape has attracted more and more Chinese tourists. Africa witnesses an upsurge of Chinese learning, and many African students regard China as the top study destination.
Chinese and African people benefit a lot from the enhanced China-Africa cooperation. Many African leaders fully affirmed China-Africa pragmatic cooperation on different occasions. According to a report released by "Afrobarometer", an opinion survey organization, most Africans believe that China-Africa exchanges have contributed to their own development. They have the most personal experience of access to roads, lights, running water, and more jobs after the Chinese come.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic poses severe challenges to the world. China and Africa uphold the spirit of unity and cooperation and help each other to overcome difficulties. At the beginning of the year when China suffered from the pandemic, over 50 African leaders called or issued statements to express their sympathy and support. China also paid close attention to the pandemic situation in Africa and quickly extended a helping hand: providing a number of anti-epidemic materials to African countries, organizing several video experience sharing meetings, and dispatching more than 10 anti-epidemic medical expert groups.
China and Africa standing at a new starting point are looking forward to a new future. As the FOCAC mechanism will continue to show vitality, China and Africa will join forces to drive the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level, build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future to benefit their peoples and create a brighter future for all.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xinhua, Outlook Weekly
