The 9th FOCAC Ministerial Conference held in Beijing making it the biggest diplomatic event in China in recent years.
The Ninth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Beijing on Tuesday, setting the stage for the upcoming FOCAC Beijing summit.
The conference saw participation from foreign and economic ministers of 53 African FOCAC member countries, along with representatives from the African Union and other international organizations, totaling over 300 attendees.
The conference reviewed the implementation of the Eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference outcomes from 2021, as well as the progress in China-Africa development cooperation. It also discussed and approved the agenda and draft outcome document for the forthcoming summit.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted the significant impact of the Global South’s rise, particularly China and Africa, on global societal development. He emphasized that the upcoming summit would be a milestone in the Global South’s journey toward modernization.
Wang noted that since the last FOCAC conference, the China-Africa community with a shared future has reached new heights, with China remaining Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. Both sides have also collaborated on the Global Development Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Security Initiative.
He expressed confidence that the strong solidarity between the 2.8 billion people of China and Africa will inject new energy into Global South cooperation.
African representatives at the conference affirmed their commitment to working closely with China to ensure the summit’s success and expressed a desire to deepen their comprehensive cooperation with China for mutual development and prosperity.