China, Africa bolstering strategic trust 'right on time,' says FM Wang Yi following trip

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that it is right on time for China and the African Union (AU) to bolster strategic mutual trust, align strategies and deepen strategic cooperation.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in an interview with Chinese media after he wrapped up visits to the AU, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Lesotho.

China and the AU, as the largest developing country and the continental body with the largest number of developing countries respectively, should further strengthen solidarity and jointly address current challenges to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of both China and Africa and contribute their share to global peace and development, he said.

During the tour, China and the AU jointly held the ninth strategic dialogue and launched the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges at the headquarters of the AU.

His visit marked the 36th consecutive year Africa has been the destination for a Chinese foreign minister's first overseas trip of the new year.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of launching diplomatic relations between China and African countries, Wang said the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, a showcase of the achievements of China-Africa cooperation, will bring together youth, culture, media and other sectors through nearly 600 exchange activities, covering various fields of China-Africa exchanges.

Wang said that he was pleased to see the new achievements in Africa's development during his visit and that China's huge market will provide broader opportunities for Africa's development.

He called on the international community to pay more attention to and increase investment in Africa.

Wang voiced China's readiness to work with African countries to build institutionalized platforms and support them in actively exploring successful paths that meet their actual needs, benefit the general public and fully leverage their own resource endowments.

Only when China and Africa join hands to move towards modernization can the world achieve modernization and without the modernization of Africa, there will be no modernization of the world, Wang said.

Since the successful convening of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September 2024, both sides have worked together to push for the implementation of its outcomes, Wang said. So far, over 90 percent of the goals have been achieved or positive progress has been made, he added.

Wang said that during his visit, he briefed the African side on the recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He said that China will continue to be the engine of global growth and is also willing to be a booster for Africa's development and revitalization.

African leaders applaud China's development achievements and expect Chinese modernization to benefit Africa, he added.

Wang said that during the visit, African friends have all reiterated their commitment to the one-China principle and voiced their support for China's efforts to achieve national reunification.

(With input from Xinhua)