China stands ready to work with South Africa and other African countries to hold a successful Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in December this year, a Chinese government official said on Wednesday.
The summit will be held in Johannesburg on December 4-5.
Speaking to delegates at the 4th China-Africa Think Tanks Forum (CATTF) in Pretoria, Charge d'Affaires ad Interim of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, Li Song said China regards the FOCAC summit as an important opportunity to implement major initiatives in its cooperation with Africa.
"This important summit will be an unprecedented opportunity for leaders from China and Africa to map out the way ahead for our co-operation in a new era. It will surely make a new milestone in the history of China-Africa relations," Li Song said.
He added that China will approach the summit with sincerity, in good faith and with the right approach to interests and principles.
"China will use the meeting to establish co-operation zones and discuss building of railways networks, high ways and regional aviation in Africa,"said Li Song.
He added that co-operation will also be established in areas of industry, finance, poverty alleviation, economical and environmental protection, culture, people to people exchanges as well as cooperation in maintaining peace and security in the continent.
Li Song said that since the establishment of FOCAC, China-Africa relationship has entered a new era of rapid development and urged the think tanks meeting to provide strategies for that development.
He also praised the good relations between China and Africa.
"China-Africa co-operation contributes more than 20 percent of Africa's economic growth," Li Song noted.
In 2014 the total trade between China and Africa exceeded 220 billion U.S. dollars. During the same period China's investment in Africa was nearly 30 billion U.S. dollars.
Chinese companies have also increased their investments in Africa. Over 2,500 Chinese companies are running their businesses in Africa creating over 100,000 jobs in African countries.
