Chinese FM says 2024 FOCAC summit achieves 'complete success'

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated on Thursday that the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has achieved complete success.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting the press together with Senegalese Foreign Minister Yacine Fall and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Congo Jean-Claude Gakosso.

Elaborating on the major outcomes of the summit, Wang said bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China have been elevated to the level of strategic relations.

China and 53 African strategic partners, standing shoulder to shoulder, will play a greater role in improving the well-being of the Chinese and African people, and safeguarding world peace and stability, he added.

The overall characterization of China-Africa relations has been elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, Wang said.

He stressed this progress demonstrates the firm resolve of the over 2.8 billion Chinese and African people to share weal and woe and march forward hand in hand amid once-in-a-century transformation of the world, and opens a new chapter in the cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Six major proposals to advance China-Africa modernization have been put forward, Wang said.

A blueprint for action to advance China-Africa cooperation has been mapped out, he said, adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced 10 partnership actions for modernization to deepen China-Africa cooperation for the next three years.

The two sides adopted a Beijing Declaration and Action Plan for strengthening China-Africa cooperation in the next three years, Wang added.

During the summit, China and Africa agreed to firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and practice true multilateralism. They also agreed to oppose prejudice, address historical injustice and advance modernization to make it benefit all people, Wang said.

The summit has demonstrated the Global South's firm confidence in solidarity and cooperation, Wang noted.

He also pointed out that during the summit the two sides also had strategic communication on the international situation and global governance. 

The two sides agreed to follow true multilateralism, implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and champion an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, according to Wang.

"The two sides agreed to reject 'small yard, high fence,' oppose discrimination and prejudice, redress historical injustices, and ensure that all will benefit from the modernization process," said the Chinese foreign minister.

According to Fall and Gakosso, Africa-China cooperation has changed the fate of Africa and will surely go down in history as a model of international cooperation.

Africa is ready to work with China in implementing the outcomes of the summit and the consensus between the two sides, deepening Africa-China friendship, and realizing shared development and common prosperity, they said.

(With input from Xinhua)