BEIJING, Sept. 5 – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday lauded the “stellar example” of China-Africa relations as China rolled out the red carpet for African leaders and other guests attending a grand summit expected to further elevate ties.
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, held a welcome banquet at the Great Hall of the People for the guests who are in Beijing to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the largest diplomatic event hosted by China in years.
The summit, drawing the attendance of over 50 African leaders and the UN secretary-general, runs from Sept. 4 to 6.
Addressing the banquet, Xi said he has been to Africa 10 times.
The China-Africa community with a shared future sets a stellar example for building a community with a shared future for humanity, he said.
“We have together built roads, railways, schools, hospitals, industrial parks, and special economic zones. These projects have changed the lives and destiny of many people,” Xi said, noting that the China-Africa community with a shared future thrives on the strength of win-win cooperation.
He expressed confidence that as long as the 2.8-billion-strong Chinese and African people are united, “we will accomplish new and even greater feats together on the way toward modernization, spearhead the modernization drive of the Global South, and make greater contributions to a community with a shared future for mankind.”
