Xi: China, Africa to go 'hand in hand' in coming years

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The 2018 Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) issued the Beijing Declaration toward an Even Stronger China-Africa Community with a Shared Future, sending out a "strong message that China and Africa will go hand in hand in years to come," Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

Xi made the remarks at a joint press conference with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Senegalese President Macky Sall at the end of the two-day summit. Senegal will succeed South Africa as the African co-chair of FOCAC.

The Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, September 3, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

Xi: China-Africa ties 'at their best in history'

Leaders of FOCAC members attending the summit reviewed implementation of the outcomes of the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg summit and drew a blueprint for future China-Africa cooperation, said the Chinese president.

In addition to the Beijing Declaration, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation produced the Beijing Action Plan, which identified eight major initiatives as the focus of China-Africa cooperation in the coming three years, Xi noted.

"We agreed that the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. Economic globalization is deepening in an increasingly multipolar world. The future of the world's people has never been so closely linked," he stressed, adding that mankind faces lots of common challenges.

To confront the challenges together, China and Africa will join hands to build a China-Africa community with a shared future that features joint responsibility, win-win cooperation, happiness for all, common cultural prosperity, common security and harmonious coexistence, Xi said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and foreign leaders pose for a group photo ahead of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, September 3, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

"Together we will better uphold the common interests of China and Africa, boost the strength of developing countries, and make the world a more balanced and better place for everyone to live in," he said, noting that this will set a good example for the building of the community with a shared future for mankind.

The leaders also agreed that "China-Africa relations are at their best in history," he stressed.

China, Africa to synergize development strategies

China and Africa will strengthen the alignment of development strategies and polices, said Xi.

"We will synergize China's Belt and Road Initiative with African Union's Agenda 2063, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and national development strategies of African countries," he elaborated.

The focus will be on the implementation of the eight major initiatives, namely industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity building, health care, people-to-people exchanges, and peace and security, Xi noted, adding that the initiatives will give a stronger impetus to China-Africa cooperation.

Xi: Africa's voice needs to be heard

"We agreed that Africa is entitled to achieving development and invigoration. This requires both hard work of the African people and support from the international community," Xi pointed out.

China-Africa cooperation is part of the international cooperation with Africa and follows the principle of mutual benefit, openness and inclusiveness, Xi stressed.

"We hope that Africa's international cooperation partners could learn from each other, leverage their respective strength, build synergy, and jointly contribute to peace and development in Africa," he said.

Xi went on to stress that while conducting cooperation with Africa, all parties of the international community should respect the sovereignty of African countries, listen to Africa's voice, take Africa's stance seriously, and deliver on the promises made to Africa.

A train runs on the Chinese-built Ethiopia-Djibouti railway during an operational test near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 3, 2016. /Xinhua Photo

'Action-oriented type of partnership'

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stressed that FOCAC is an action-oriented type of partnership between China and Africa during the press conference.

He noted China's promised 60 billion US dollars' funding support in 2015 has been delivered and allocated to projects.

Ramaphosa believed China and Africa partnership is one of the most meaningful partnerships in the world because it is based on win-win cooperation.

FOCAC is a platform to accelerate development in Africa and many achievements have been made over the past 18 years, he added.

Ramaphosa thanked Xi and the Chinese people for the warm welcome African leaders received in Beijing.

He said it's heartening to witness the spirit of cooperation between China and Africa during deliberations.

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As the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative provides the African continent with great opportunities, Ramaphosa said African countries all collectively accept and praise the initiative, hailing it a best way to address Africa's challenges.

Describing people as great assets, the South African president said China and African countries agreed to increase people-to-people exchanges, especially among women and young people.

He pointed out that China and African countries agreed to work more closely together and share technologies and achievements and listed a series projects including the China-Africa cooperation center for ocean science and blue economy, the China-Africa research center for the development of green agriculture, the China-Africa energy technological cooperation center and the China-Africa geo-science cooperation center.

Ramaphosa spoke highly of China's openness, saying that China is Africa's number one trading partner and the Chinese government agreed to increase Africa's value-added exports to China.

He also said the summit reaffirmed that a stable, peaceful and rule-based global order is critical for China and Africa's collective development and prosperity and reaffirmed the importance of multilateralism.

Sall: Africa adheres to one-China policy

Senegalese President Macky Sall said he is "happy" that his country has become the incoming African co-chair of FOCAC, while acknowledging the "outstanding work" of Ramaphosa over the years.

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Sall noted that mutual understanding and mutual benefits are principles shared by African countries and China, stressing that Africa as a whole will continue to firmly adhere to the one-China policy.

He recalled Xi's visit to Senegal in July last year, during which the two sides reassured their commitment in deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

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The Senegalese president then looked to the future. "Nothing will distract our relationship," he said, hoping to see "greater prospects" in the upcoming years while having more engagements in the private sectors.

"We will push our relationship to a higher level," Sall said.

According to Sall, the relationship between China and Africa has entered a "golden age." The president also said he appreciates China's 60 billion US dollars' financial support, which will be provided in the form of government assistance, as well as investments and loans by financial institutions and companies.

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