The congratulatory messages exchanged on Friday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and Senegalese President Macky Sall demonstrates the time-honored traditional friendship between China and Africa and the firm determination to work together to build a community with shared future for China and Africa in the new era, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular presser in Beijing.

Noting that September 9 marks the 20th anniversary of the African Union's (AU) founding and the establishment of China-AU diplomatic relations, Mao pointed out that in the past 20 years, the AU has led African countries in striding forward along a path of seeking strength through unity, development, revitalization and integration, and in demonstrating Africa's strength in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, upholding multilateralism and safeguarding the common interests of developing countries. 

China-AU relations have stood the test of changing international circumstances, and bilateral cooperation has expanded in depth and width, playing an important leading role in carrying forward China-Africa traditional friendship and strengthening solidarity and cooperation in the new era, she added.

China is willing to strengthen the coordination and communication, deepen political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, continue to firmly support each other's core interest and major concerns and jointly promote the relations between China and AU and China and Africa to a higher level, the spokesperson stressed.

(Cover: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. /CFP)