China and Africa enjoy a profound friendship, which "is growing ever stronger as time goes by," Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China. Last year was the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. In the past 20 years, the bilateral trade volume has increased by 20 times, while China's direct investment in Africa has increased by 100 times. "China-Africa cooperation stands as a model of South-South cooperation and a fine example of international cooperation with Africa," Wang added.