The Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, September 3, 2018. /Xinhua Photo
The 2018 Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) issued the Beijing Declaration toward an Even Stronger China-Africa Community with a Shared Future, sending out a "strong message that China and Africa will go hand in hand in years to come," Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.
Xi made the remarks at a joint press conference with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Senegalese President Macky Sall at the end of the two-day summit. Senegal will succeed South Africa as the African co-chair of FOCAC.
Xi: China-Africa ties 'at their best in history'
Leaders of FOCAC members attending the summit reviewed implementation of the outcomes of the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg summit and drew a blueprint for future China-Africa cooperation, said the Chinese president.
In addition to the Beijing Declaration, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation produced the Beijing Action Plan, which identified eight major initiatives as the focus of China-Africa cooperation in the coming three years, Xi noted.
"We agreed that the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. Economic globalization is deepening in an increasingly multipolar world. The future of the world's people has never been so closely linked," he stressed, adding that mankind faces lots of common challenges.
To confront the challenges together, China and Africa will join hands to build a China-Africa community with a shared future that features joint responsibility, win-win cooperation, happiness for all, common cultural prosperity, common security and harmonious coexistence, Xi said.
"Together we will better uphold the common interests of China and Africa, boost the strength of developing countries, and make the world a more balanced and better place for everyone to live in," he said, noting that this will set a good example for the building of the community with a shared future for mankind.
The leaders also agreed that "China-Africa relations are at their best in history," he stressed.
China, Africa to synergize development strategies
China and Africa will strengthen the alignment of development strategies and polices, said Xi.
"We will synergize China's Belt and Road Initiative with African Union's Agenda 2063, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and national development strategies of African countries," he elaborated.
The focus will be on the implementation of the eight major initiatives, namely industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity building, health care, people-to-people exchanges, and peace and security, Xi noted, adding that the initiatives will give a stronger impetus to China-Africa cooperation.
Xi: Africa's voice needs to be heard
"We agreed that Africa is entitled to achieving development and invigoration. This requires both hard work of the African people and support from the international community," Xi pointed out.
China-Africa cooperation is part of the international cooperation with Africa and follows the principle of mutual benefit, openness and inclusiveness, Xi stressed.
"We hope that Africa's international cooperation partners could learn from each other, leverage their respective strength, build synergy, and jointly contribute to peace and development in Africa," he said.
Xi went on to stress that while conducting cooperation with Africa, all parties of the international community should respect the sovereignty of African countries, listen to Africa's voice, take Africa's stance seriously, and deliver on the promises made to Africa.
