Beijing, China — The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), scheduled from September 4 to 6. Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong briefed the media on the upcoming events and highlighted the significance of this high-level gathering.
The summit will feature four high-level meetings focusing on state governance, industrialization and agricultural modernization, peace and security, and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. In addition, a conference of Chinese and African entrepreneurs will take place, aiming to bolster economic ties and investment opportunities between China and African nations.
Vice Foreign Minister Chen stated that President Xi will deliver a keynote speech during the opening ceremony. “President Xi will elaborate on new concepts and propositions for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future,” Chen said. “He will also announce new measures for practical cooperation with Africa.”
Beyond the summit, President Xi is set to hold bilateral meetings with foreign leaders in attendance. These discussions are expected to strengthen diplomatic relations and explore avenues for collaborative development.
The summit aims to adopt two significant outcome documents, which will consolidate the major consensus reached by both sides. These documents will outline the implementation path for high-quality China-Africa cooperation over the next three years, setting the stage for enhanced collaboration in various sectors.
Reflecting on the 24 years since FOCAC’s establishment, Chen Xiaodong described it as the “golden sign” of China-Africa cooperation and a banner for deepening cooperation within the Global South. “Under the joint promotion of President Xi and African leaders, China and Africa focus on friendly cooperation and solidly advance the construction of the forum and the implementation of the results,” Chen remarked. “This has pushed China-Africa relations to achieve leap-forward development.”
The upcoming summit represents a pivotal moment for China and its African partners to reaffirm their commitment to mutual growth and development. As both sides prepare to engage in discussions and initiatives, the world watches to see how this collaboration will shape the future of the Global South.
