Luanda - The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, is representing the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, at the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing Thursday.
The event's official opening ceremony was led by the President of China, Xi Jinping, and included speeches by several African heads of state.
Xi Jinping said that the African Union (AU) is a banner that guides the unity and self-strengthening of Africa and an important platform for international cooperation.
The Chinese statesman also said that his country is ready to take the China-Africa community with a shared future to a new level, considering Africa to be a major priority for the country's diplomacy.
He also said that he was ready to increase political exchanges, deepen strategic mutual trust, share experiences and promote common development with the African continent.
According to Xi Jinping, China and Africa ‘are a firm force for defending the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, as well as upholding the purposes of the UN Charter, safeguarding multilateralism, equity and international justice’.
One million jobs
During his speech, the President of China promised to support Africa with 360 billion yuan (45.8 billion euros) by 2027 and to help create one million jobs on the African continent.
Xi also promised that the country will invest at least 70 billion yuan (8.9 billion euros) in the African bloc.
President Xi affirmed that the country is ready to deepen cooperation with the continent in the economic field, emphasising that ‘relations between China and Africa are going through the best period in history.
In his view, China and Africa must remain united and defend their legitimate rights at a time when the world is undergoing unprecedented changes.
He announced 30 infrastructure projects and renewed his promise to increase agricultural imports from Africa, an intention he had already expressed at the previous edition of FOCAC in Dakar in 2021.
He also stressed that China will help Africa ‘promote ecological modernisation, green development and the transition to low-carbon technology’.
He also said that China will donate 1 billion yuan (127 million euros) in military aid to Africa, as well as training 6,000 military personnel.
China is Africa's biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade totaling 167.8 billion dollars (151.8 billion euros) in the first half of the year, according to the official Chinese press.
A total of 50 leaders from African countries and UN Secretary General António Guterres from Portugal are attending the summit, according to the Chinese press.
The FOCAC, which runs until Friday, serves to increase unity and co-operation between developing countries, strengthen the power of the Global South, jointly defend international equity and justice and promote peace and development in the world.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the African continent in 1950, co-operation between Africa and the Asian giant has witnessed a continuous evolution in the international arena.
The Forum was established as a consultative mechanism for connective dialogue, as well as representing a future-oriented step in cooperation between the parties, and an important model in the field of South-South cooperation in pursuit of common development. FMA/ART/DAN/DOJ
