{"id":24546,"date":"2024-09-06T08:10:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T05:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=24546"},"modified":"2024-09-06T08:10:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T05:10:53","slug":"african-leaders-visit-beijing-for-forum-on-china-africa-cooperation-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/african-leaders-visit-beijing-for-forum-on-china-africa-cooperation-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"African leaders visit Beijing for Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

6 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beijing recently became the focal point of international diplomacy as it hosted the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), a grand three-day event that brought together delegations from dozens of African nations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The summit, the first of its kind held in the Chinese capital since 2018, underscored the deepening ties between China and Africa, even as it occurred at a critical juncture for both regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As African leaders arrived in Beijing and met with impressive displays of Chinese hospitality. Honor guards and traditional dance troupes welcomed the delegations, and state media prominently featured the arrivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gathering was the largest diplomatic event hosted by China in recent years, with Chinese officials eager to showcase their country as a pivotal partner for Africa, despite the backdrop of slowing economic engagement and rising global tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


China pledges $50 billion to fund African development<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

China\u2019s President Xi Jinping pledged more than $50 billion<\/mark><\/a> (RMB360 billion yuan) in funding to the African continent over the next three years. The $50 billion funding includes a mix of credit funds, assistance and private investment from Chinese firms. The Chinese leader also vowed to create \u201cat least\u201d one million jobs in Africa as he seeks to position Beijing as the development partner of choice for the Global South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChina-Africa relations are at their best in history,\u201d Xi said, as he vowed to elevate China\u2019s bilateral relations with all African countries with which it has formal ties to the level of \u201cstrategic relations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of the summit, President Xi met with the Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s President Felix Tshisekedi, as well as the leaders of Togo, Mali, Comoros, and Djibouti, according to local news reports. On September 3, Chinese President Xi also held talks with President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, Africa\u2019s largest economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


What is FOCAC?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The China-Africa summit, known as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), has taken place every three years since 2000. The ongoing conference marks the ninth of its kind. Discussions and agreements will focus on key areas such as industrialization, agricultural development, security, and collaboration on China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a vast project designed to connect multiple continents to China through extensive infrastructure networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next week, Beijing will host a \u201cChina-Africa Week\u201d.

Eagerly anticipating China and Africa creating a new surge of momentum for global modernization and shared human development. #FOCAC2024<\/a> #ChinaAfrica<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/oKqpPg1jni<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Hua Chunying \u534e\u6625\u83b9 (@SpokespersonCHN) September 1, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>