Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

Xi made the proposition in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing on Thursday.

The Chinese president said that thanks to nearly 70 years of tireless efforts from both sides, the China-Africa relationship is now at its best in history.

The elevation of ties to the level of strategic relations means that no matter how the world changes, the African countries firmly believe that China is their most reliable partner, said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, in an interview with CGTN.