MOFA briefs on Xi’s Africa, Middle East visit and BRICS summit attendance

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02:08

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming state visits will help reach a consensus with African nations ahead of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit which will be held in Beijing this September, and will facilitate discussions on pragmatic cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China’s Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou told reporters at a briefing on Friday.

Xi will pay state visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa from July 19 to 24 and attend the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg from July 25 to 27.

Kong said the UAE is the first country in the Gulf region to have established a strategic partnership with China and the two countries share strong trade relations, with China being the UAE's second-largest trade partner.

Kong also hailed the traditional relationship between China and Africa, saying their tie is the basis of China’s diplomacy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg, South Africa, December 5, 2015. / Xinhua Photo

It will be Xi’s fourth trip to the African continent as Chinese president and his first foreign visit since his re-election in March.

While attending the 10th BRICS summit in South Africa, Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Jun told reporters that Xi will also hold bilateral meetings with other leaders on the sidelines.

Zhang noted that China, together with other BRICS countries, will champion multilateralism and safeguard free trade, adding that they’ll together deepen cooperation in all areas within the BRICS countries.

Xi will also pay a visit to Mauritius from July 27 to 28 during a stopover on his way back to Beijing.