On the evening of August 24, 2023 local time, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Ramaphosa co-chaired the China-Africa Leaders Dialogue in Johannesburg.

Azali Assoumani, President of the Comoros and Chairperson-in-Office of the AU, Macky Sall, President of Senegal and Co-Chair of the African side of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Hichilema, the representative of African Subregional Organizations and President of Zambia, President Evariste Ndayishmiye of Burundi, President Guelleh of Djibouti, President Sassou of the Congo-Brazzaville, President Hage Geingob of Namibia, Prime Minister Kébézabo of Chad, Vice-Chairman Musa al-Koni of the Council of the Presidency of Libya, Vice-President Kashim Shettima of Nigeria, and Mr. Mouchanga, Representative of the AU Commission, etc., were in attendance.

Xi delivered a keynote address titled Join Hands to Advance Modernization and Create a Great Future for China and Africa.

Xi pointed out, “This is my 10th visit to the continent. In 2013, after I became Chinese President, I came here for my first foreign visit and announced the genuine, friendly, and sincere policies towards Africa. Over the past 10 years, China has stayed committed to this principle. Together with our African friends and drawing strength from the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, we have pressed ahead on the path of solidarity and cooperation, stood for justice amid shifting global dynamics, and looked out for each other in face of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have taken China-Africa relations to new heights and entered the new stage of jointly building a high-level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.”

Xi pointed out that China is comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization, while Africa is making every effort to build a new Africa of peace, unity, prosperity and self-reliance. China and Africa should make concerted efforts to create a favorable environment for realizing their respective visions of development. We should jointly promote the establishment of a just and rational international order, unequivocally oppose the legacy of colonialism and all kinds of hegemonic practices, firmly support each other in safeguarding their core interests, and insist on the just claims of the developing countries with a straight face. We should work together to maintain a peaceful and secure global environment, practise a new security concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable, advocate dialogue to bridge differences and cooperation to resolve disputes, promote the political settlement of international and regional hot-spot issues, maintain world peace and stability, and safeguard the security of the global ecological environment. We should jointly build an open and inclusive world economy, promote the construction of an open world economy, better integrate developing countries into the international division of labour, and share the fruits of economic globalization. We should transcend civilizational barriers through civilizational exchanges and promote tolerance and mutual understanding among civilizations.

Xi emphasized that there are rich and diverse paths to modernization. The African people have the best say in what kind of development path is most suitable for Africa. Pushing forward integration is the path to modernization chosen by African countries and people themselves, and China always firmly supports and is willing to be a peer on the path to modernization in Africa. Looking to the future, China will strengthen the interface between its development strategies and those of Africa, and continue to support Africa in speaking with one voice in international affairs, so as to continuously enhance its international status. China will actively promote the full membership of the African Union in the Group of Twenty (G-20), support special arrangements to prioritize Africa's demands in the reform of the United Nations Security Council, and call on multilateral financial institutions to give African countries a greater voice.

Xi put forward three initiatives to strengthen China-Africa practical cooperation and help the African integration and modernization in the next phase:

First, China will launch the “Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization”. China will better harness its resources for cooperation with Africa and the initiative of businesses to support Africa in growing its manufacturing sector and realizing industrialization and economic diversification. In implementing the nine programs under the FOCAC framework, China will channel more resources of assistance, investment and financing toward programs for industrialization.

Second, China will launch the “Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization”. China will help Africa expand grain plantation, encourage Chinese companies to increase agricultural investment in Africa, and enhance cooperation with Africa on seed and other areas of agro-technology, to support Africa in transforming and upgrading its agricultural sector. China will host the second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Agriculture in Hainan this November, and provide a new batch of emergency food aid to selected African countries in need.

Third, China will launch the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. China plans to train 500 principals and high-caliber teachers of vocational colleges, 10,000 technical personnel with both Chinese language and vocational skills, and invite 20,000 government officials and technicians of African countries to participate in workshops and seminars every year. To support Africa in strengthening education and innovation, China will launch the “China-Africa 100 Universities Cooperation Plan” and 10 pilot exchange programs of China-Africa partner institutes.

Xi pointed out, the world today is undergoing transformation and turmoil, and changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace. At this point of history, we all face the tasks of addressing the deficit in development, overcoming security challenges and enhancing mutual learning between civilizations. China and Africa, through the creative explorations for modernization, are giving answers to the questions of our times, and making joint efforts to advance the great endeavors of win-win cooperation, harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity of civilizations.

Xi emphasized, next year, China will host the FOCAC meeting, where the two countries may come together again and draw up new plans for the development. It is a big gathering that both sides are looking forward to. He is confident that China and Africa will carry forward the traditional friendship, enhance solidarity and coordination, and bolster our cooperation across the board. As China and Africa join hands to advance modernization, we will deliver a better future for the Chinese and African people, and set a fine example in the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The African leaders highly appreciated the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue jointly organized by China and South Africa, and thanked China for its support for African integration and providing assistance to African countries in times of difficulty. Africa-China relations are based on solidarity, friendship and mutual respect. China's investment in and cooperation with African countries had played an important role in helping Africa's development, and China was an indispensable and important partner in Africa's modernization. The African side highly appreciates and welcomes President Xi Jinping's initiative on supporting Africa's industrialization, the agricultural modernization plan and the cooperation plan for human resources training. These three initiatives demonstrate once again that China is a true friend and partner who is concerned about Africa's concerns. The African side highly appreciates and fully supports President Xi Jinping's proposal to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and is willing to closely align Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the development strategies of African countries with the Belt and Road Initiative. The FOCAC is an efficient platform for South-South cooperation, and the African side is willing to work with China to continue to build up the mechanism of the Forum. The African side firmly adheres to the one-China policy and is ready to work with China to firmly support each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, strengthening international multilateral cooperation, expanding the representation and voice of developing countries and safeguarding the common interests of developing countries.

The meeting adopted and issued the Joint Statement of the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue. China also released the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development.

Cai Qi and Wang Yi participated in the Dialogue.

(Source: China International Development Cooperation Agency)

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