Johannesburg getting busier as Xi to chair China-Africa summit

JOHANNESBURG - Johannesburg, the largest city of South Africa and an economic center in the region, is getting busier as Chinese President Xi Jinping is here to co-chair a historic summit on China-Africa cooperation with South African President Jacob Zuma from Friday to Saturday.

Following the state visit activities in South Africa's executive capital Pretoria, Xi and his high-ranking delegation arrived in Johannesburg Thursday morning for a widely-watched three-day stay.

BUSY SCHEDULE

After his arrival, Xi spent several hours holding separate meetings with nine leaders of African countries in Sandton, a financial hub of Johannesburg.

The African leaders were Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe, Guinean President Alpha Conde, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Most of the top leaders of the 50 African member countries of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will attend the forthcoming summit, making Johannesburg the most busy city in Africa.

Given time limitation, it seems that the Chinese president could not hold formal bilateral meetings with every leader, but he will meet with the leaders, as a Chinese diplomat said, "in numerous forms."

In the evening, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan, together with the African leaders, attended a welcoming banquet. Xi delivered a speech at the banquet, pledging China's commitment to pushing forward its friendship with Africa.

Before leaving for Johannesburg in the morning, Xi also held a meeting with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, in Pretoria.