The Chinese government will roll out a raft of new measures to boost practical cooperation between China and African countries, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming said on Wednesday.[Special coverage]
Zhang made the remarks at a gathering attended by senior officials from China and African countries ahead of the upcoming Johannesburg Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) scheduled on Dec. 4 and 5.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the session, Zhang said fruitful achievement has been made between China and African countries since 2000 when the FOCAC was established under the initiative of China and African countries.
During the meeting, officials mulled a declaration and an action plan aimed at consolidating China-Africa relations, which are expected to be adopted during the summit.
Zhang said the summit, with a theme of "Africa-China Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development", will comprehensively evaluate the development of China-Africa ties and is of great significance to strengthening China-Africa relations.
He said China and African countries face unprecedented opportunities in terms of boosting mutual development as the two sides are embarking on a new phase of development.
Nomaindiya Mfeketo, deputy minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa, said China and Africa should explore cooperation potentials, expand cooperation fields and build closer their partnership relations, adding that African countries look forward to elevating cooperation with China in industrialization, infrastructure building and agricultural modernization.
