Xi vows action to bring China, Africa closer

Nation aims to expand imports, boost investment, spur industrialization and continue free-trade talks

President Xi Jinping unveiled on Monday eight major initiatives by China, including expanding imports from Africa, for the next three years and beyond to build a closer community with a shared future for China and Africa.

Xi made the announcement in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. "The over 1.3 billion Chinese people have been with the over 1.2 billion African people in pursuing a shared future," Xi said.

China will purchase more goods, especially nonresource products, from Africa, and will continue its free-trade negotiations with African countries that wish to do so, Xi said.

China will promote industrialization in Africa with such concrete measures as encouraging Chinese companies to expand their investment in Africa, supporting Africa's efforts to largely achieve food security by 2030, and launching 50 agricultural assistance projects, Xi said.

It also will offer emergency humanitarian food aid worth 1 billion yuan ($146.5 million) to Africa, dispatch 500 senior agricultural experts to Africa and train young talent in agricultural science, Xi said.

China will work with the African Union in developing the China-Africa cooperation plan, and China will encourage its domestic companies to participate in infrastructure construction in Africa, he said.

The president said China and Africa should enhance cooperation in such areas as energy, transportation, information telecommunications and cross-border water resources.