China and several African nations have reiterated their commitment to advancing mutually beneficial cooperation and working together to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, as China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, wrapped up a six-day visit to the continent, the traditional first destination of the New Year for Chinese foreign ministers.

During the trip, which brought Chinese Foreign Minister Wang to Namibia, Republic of the Congo, Chad and Nigeria, leaders of all four countries voiced their firm support for China in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity and declared their adherence to the one-China principle.

Talking to Chinese media on Friday, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said this is a full demonstration of the tradition of China and Africa supporting each other, adding China always takes the development of relations with Africa as a top priority of China's overall diplomatic strategy.

"The tradition of making Africa the first overseas destination for China's foreign minister each new year is a hallmark of Chinese diplomacy, which has been upheld consistently for 35 years, setting a unique precedent in international relations," said Wang.

Regardless of changes in the international or regional landscape, China's commitment to Africa remains unwavering, he said. China will always be the most trustworthy friend of its African brothers and sisters, the most reliable partner in their pursuit of development and revitalization, and the strongest supporter of Africa on the international stage, Wang added.

Implementing 10 partnership action plans

China is ready to work with African countries to deliver tangible outcomes from the 10 partnership action plans proposed at the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing last year, ensuring that both sides can advance faster, more steadily and further on their path toward modernization, Wang said.

Wang said during his visits to the four countries, he had in-depth exchanges with the respective leaders regarding the implementation of the FOCAC Beijing Summit outcomes and reached a broad consensus.

President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso and other African leaders noted that the 10 partnership action plans comprehensively address every aspect of China-Africa cooperation and tackle Africa's pressing challenges, fully align with Africa's needs, and will provide substantial support for the continent's development and revitalization.

Global South partnership

China and Africa should facilitate the rise of the Global South in a pragmatic manner, Wang said.

As the largest developing country in the world, China has always been committed to promoting the unity and revitalization of the Global South, he added.

During the FOCAC summit last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed that China and Africa should jointly advance modernization characterized by six features, which align with the fundamental needs of developing countries, Wang said.

Africa, too, has the right to realize modernization, and without Africa's modernization, global modernization cannot be achieved, he noted.

China is willing to take the implementation of the FOCAC Beijing Summit outcomes as an opportunity alongside African partners to support each other's modernization drives, thereby leading the direction of global modernization, he said.

Looking to the future, China is willing to work with Africa to jointly practice the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in global governance, steadily promote the high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation, and implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Wang said.

New opportunities

Throughout the visits, Wang said it was evident that African countries attach great importance to implementing the FOCAC summit outcomes and deepening China-Africa cooperation.

The Partnership Action for Mutual Learning among Civilizations ranks first among the 10 partnership action plans, reflecting its profound significance in today's world, Wang said.

Both China and Africa have long histories and rich civilizations, and both are actively committed to national development and revitalization, he said.

Under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, China has charted a successful development path suited to its national conditions, achieving significant progress in its modernization drive, Wang said, adding that these achievements offer valuable insights and new opportunities for African nations seeking to accelerate their development and revitalization.

China and African countries have decided to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between their civilizations and share governance experiences, laying a stronger and broader political and social foundation for China-Africa cooperation, Wang said.

(With input from Xinhua)