Xi puts forward 3-point proposal on developing China-African relations

OSAKA - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday put forward a three-point proposal on building a closer community with a shared future between China and African countries.

On the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in the Japanese city of Osaka, Xi chaired a China-Africa leaders' meeting, which was attended by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, also former African co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC); Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, also rotating chair of the African Union (AU); Senegalese President Macky Sall, current African co-chair of the FOCAC; and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The leaders compared notes and reached a broad consensus on major issues such as deepening China-Africa cooperation, supporting the development of Africa and the work of the United Nations, and safeguarding multilateralism.

Xi pointed out that the FOCAC Beijing summit held in September last year ushered in a new era of China-Africa relations.

China cherishes its traditional friendship with Africa, Xi said, adding that no matter how the international situation changes and despite the interference of certain powers, the original aspirations of China and Africa for win-win cooperation and common development will stay unchanged and the resolve to jointly build a closer community with a shared future will not waver.

At the China-Africa leaders' meeting, Xi put forward a three-point proposal.

First, Xi called on the countries to be pioneers for win-win development so that the fruits of cooperation will benefit more Chinese and African people.

The countries, he said, should align the construction of the Belt and Road with the AU's Agenda 2063, the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the development strategies of African countries, and bring more visible and tangible benefits to the peoples of China and Africa through the implementation of the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing summit.

Xi pledged that China will stay committed to the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith and the approach of pursuing the greater good and shared interests, honor its commitments to Africa to the letter, persistently support Africa's development, and make greater contributions to Africa's development and rejuvenation and African countries' joint efforts to become stronger.