Chinese President Xi Jinping and Senegalese President Macky Sall on Monday exchanged congratulatory messages on the 20th anniversary of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

In their messages, Xi and Sall, the co-chair of the FOCAC, expressed their willingness to join the vast number of African countries in celebrating this important and special occasion.

Over the past 20 years, with joint efforts, FOCAC has become an important and dynamic platform for dialogue between China and Africa, and an effective mechanism for practical cooperation, the two leaders said in their messages.

It is also an important model and banner of South-South cooperation, they said.

The two sides are committed to developing a high-quality comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership between China and Africa, and the outcomes of the forum will benefit the people of both regions, they went on.

The two leaders stressed the success of the 2018 FOCAC Summit in Beijing, during which China and Africa agreed to build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, charting the course for the future development of bilateral relations.

The two sides will join hands in addressing various challenges, especially the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a serious impact on the world economy, they said.

The two sides are also ready to work hand in hand with other members of the Forum, and the next summit to be held in Senegal in 2021 will further promote the realization of the common goals of the two sides, they added.

Established 20 years ago in Beijing, FOCAC has become a significant mark of China-Africa cooperation.

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The first summit of FOCAC took place in Beijing in 2006, with the theme of "Friendship, Peace, Cooperation and Development."