Representatives from China and 53 African countries have agreed to deepen their cooperation under the Global Development Initiative (GDI), as they gather in Beijing to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from Wednesday to Friday.

The GDI, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping back in September 2021, is of high consistency with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the development strategies of the African countries. 

In a joint statement issued on Friday, the representatives agree to forge further cooperation and build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

All sides recall the fruits of China-Africa cooperation since the GDI was proposed, and call for the global community to display sincerity and put development at the center of global agenda.

They also firmly believe that China-Africa cooperation is a stellar example of South-South cooperation.

Additionally, China and the 53 African countries agree to support the UN's role in global development and raise the voice of the Global South in global governance.

They agree to share more experiences on poverty alleviation, food security, health, industrialization, climate change and green development, interconnectivity in the digital age, and human resources.

They also agree to jointly build a global pool for development projects and funds to benefit the African countries and implement the UN's 2030 Agenda.

(Cover via CFP.)