President Xi Jinping held bilateral meetings on Thursday with foreign leaders who are in Beijing to attend the ongoing 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Mokgweetsi Masisi
Botswana embraces strategic partnership
The robust China-Africa cooperation not only benefits the Chinese and African peoples, but also drives international cooperation with Africa, creating favorable conditions for the continent's development and vitalization, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.
He made the remark when meeting with Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi in Beijing. The two leaders announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Botswana.
Xi said the 2024 FOCAC Summit has brought China and its African brothers together, aligning the development of China, Africa and the world more closely and unleashing the positive energy of the Global South to promote global peace, security, prosperity and progress.
Noting that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Xi called on both sides to work as partners who trust each other, develop together and foster strong people-to-people bonds.
He underlined the need for the two countries to steadfastly support each other and enhance cooperation in sectors such as industry, agriculture, mining, clean energy, education and healthcare.
Masisi lauded Xi's inspiring keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the summit, in which Xi announced new initiatives to support the partnership between China and Africa to promote modernization, along with China's opening-up policies dedicated to the continent.
Botswana fully supports these initiatives and policies with a strong belief that the vision outlined at the summit will come to fruition, he said.
He expressed gratitude to China for its long-standing support for Botswana, and said his country is willing to take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to further advance bilateral relations.
Nangolo Mbumba
Namibia to enjoy more cooperation highlights
President Xi Jinping underscored on Thursday China's willingness to work with African countries to fully implement the outcomes of the 2024 FOCAC Summit to promote common development and prosperity and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.
The summit demonstrates the firm determination of China and African countries to advance modernization together, Xi said.
He made the remarks when meeting with Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba in Beijing.
Noting that both the Communist Party of China and Namibia's South West Africa People's Organization are long-term ruling parties, Xi called for enhancing friendly cooperation between the two countries and the two parties, strengthening exchanges in governance experience, sharing development opportunities, and jointly promoting modernization.
He emphasized the need for both countries to strengthen alignment of development strategies to create new highlights in their cooperation.
China supports Namibia's role as a coordinating country for the United Nations' Summit of the Future, which will be held on Sept 22 and 23, and is willing to enhance multilateral strategic coordination with Namibia to build up the force of the Global South, Xi said.
Mbumba said the two outcome documents adopted by the FOCAC summit on Thursday morning will help consolidate the brotherly friendship between Africa and China, and the initiatives proposed by Xi to promote modernization will usher in a bright future of common development and prosperity for Africa and China.
He expressed his country's commitment to implementing the outcomes of the summit and to strengthening cooperation with China in the fields of agriculture, minerals, infrastructure, clean energy, aerospace and aviation.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Friendship with Ghana further solidified
President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for China and Ghana to enhance political mutual trust and promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and to act as good friends who trust each other, good partners who develop together and good brothers who coordinate closely.
He made the remarks when meeting with Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in Beijing.
Xi said that in the 64 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties, their friendship has solidified despite changes in the international landscape.
Xi expressed China's support for Ghana as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council from 2024 to 2026, and said that China is willing to strengthen strategic coordination with the African country.
Xi said the 2024 FOCAC Summit has identified the direction and path for China and Africa to jointly advance modernization and is pointing the way for the progress of the Global South. China is ready to work with Ghana to effectively implement the outcomes of the summit, he added.
Akufo-Addo said that Ghana highly values its friendly relations with China, which he described as the most trustworthy friend and partner of his country.
Ghana firmly adheres to the one-China principle and supports China's positions on human rights, he said.
Expressing appreciation for China's long-standing support to Ghana, Akufo-Addo acknowledged that Chinese investment and cooperation have significantly promoted his country's economic and social development.
Xi's proposal of 10 partnership actions for modernization to deepen China-Africa cooperation is forward-looking, and Ghana will actively implement these proposals with China and solidify the two nations' friendship and partnership, he said.
Paul Kagame
Relations with Rwanda elevated
China supports Rwanda in taking its own independent development path and is willing to deepen exchanges of experience with the African nation regarding party and state governance, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday in Beijing when meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
During the talks, the two heads of state announced the decision to upgrade bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
He added that the FOCAC summit has brought a historic opportunity for elevating bilateral friendly relations, and China is willing to implement the outcomes of the summit with Rwanda and strengthen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, agriculture and satellite applications.
Beijing is also willing to work together for the success of the Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda and the Luban Workshop, and to drive the two countries' high-quality cooperation in jointly building the Belt and Road to achieve more outcomes, Xi added.
China appreciates the positive role played by Rwanda in maintaining peace and security in Africa, and is willing to deepen cooperation with Rwanda in areas such as peacekeeping.
Kagame said he has vivid memories of Xi's historic visit to Rwanda in 2018, adding that the two nations share similar ideas and philosophies, and both advocate multilateralism and respect sovereignty and independence.
Rwanda firmly adheres to the one-China policy and supports China's national reunification, a position built on bilateral friendship and mutual understanding, he said.
Kagame said that Rwanda regards China as a friend and partner worthy of long-term trust, and his country is willing to strengthen exchanges of governance experience, advance pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and work together to implement the three global initiatives put forward by Xi.
Umaro Sissoco Embalo
Progress seen in ties with Guinea-Bissau
China is willing to carry forward its traditional friendship with Guinea-Bissau, advance strategic cooperation and jointly safeguard the sovereignty, security and development interests of both countries, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo in Beijing.
Xi recalled Embalo's state visit to China in July, saying that his attendance at the 2024 FOCAC Summit demonstrates his country's friendly relations with China and high regard for China-Africa solidarity and cooperation.
He noted that bilateral cooperation in various fields has been pragmatic and efficient, with progress seen in Guinea-Bissau's exports of cashew nuts to China and the sending of a new group of Chinese agricultural technology experts to the African country.
Xi expressed the hope that both sides would actively implement the outcomes of the FOCAC summit to give new impetus to the development of bilateral relations and China-Africa cooperation, and work together to promote modernization.
Embalo said that for Africa, China represents the future and serves as a brother.
He praised the important initiatives proposed by Xi, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, and said that these demonstrate extraordinary strategic vision and historical significance and show strong theoretical and practical innovation.
Guinea-Bissau greatly appreciates and actively supports these initiatives, he added.
Guinea-Bissau is willing to be a reliable friend and partner of China, and it wants to use the FOCAC summit as an opportunity to deepen friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between the two countries, Embalo added.
Patrice Trovoada
Sao Tome and Principe gains fruitful results
President Xi Jinping and Sao Tome and Principe's Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada jointly announced on Thursday the decision to elevate bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.
Trovoada, who is on an official visit to China, is attending the ongoing 2024 FOCAC Summit in Beijing.
Xi said that in recent years, bilateral relations have maintained a good momentum of development and pragmatic cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results. Sao Tome and Principe's return to the China-Africa family of friendly cooperation fully aligns with the shared interests of both peoples, he added.
China will, as always, support Sao Tome and Principe's efforts to advance its national construction and economic development, and is willing to work together to actively implement the outcomes of the summit and drive the strategic partnership for the betterment of the two peoples, Xi said.
He emphasized that the two sides should stay committed to the general direction of friendship and "firmly support each other on issues involving one another's core interests and major concerns".
The two countries should explore cooperation in areas such as tourism, agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure to allow Sao Tome and Principe to benefit more from the outcomes of the summit, Xi added.
Trovoada thanked China for its valuable support in his country's development.
The new action plan put forward by Xi in his speech at the summit's opening ceremony will strongly boost the development of his country and Africa, Trovoada said.
Sao Tome and Principe firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and hopes to further consolidate political mutual trust and strengthen its partnership with China, in order to provide a strong guarantee for realizing its long-term economic development, he added.
Antonio Guterres
Central role of UN in intl affairs supported
President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that practicing genuine multilateralism and supporting the United Nations' central role in international affairs have been the unchanged principles of China's diplomacy.
When meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Beijing, Xi said that China will continue to actively participate in the UN's work in various areas, and it supports the UN in hosting the Summit of the Future later this month.
He also pledged to promote the reform of the international financial architecture and strengthen artificial intelligence governance to contribute to global peace and development.
Xi said he appreciates the UN's consistent emphasis on Africa, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with the international body to jointly support Africa in achieving peace, stability, development and vitalization.
The president mentioned his 2013 visit to Tanzania, when he put forward the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith for China's Africa policy. China has no selfish interests in pursuing cooperation with Africa, he said.
Xi said his proposal to build a community with a shared future for mankind is aimed at helping people across the world, including those in Africa, live a happy life.
Chinese modernization will bring more opportunities for other countries and inject new momentum into global peace and common development, he added.
Guterres said that China's cooperation with Africa has helped reduce the historical injustices suffered by the continent and has promoted its peace and development.
The UN would like to strengthen coordination with China to resist acts that create division and undermine common progress, and jointly push for global governance that is more just and equitable, he said.
