Chinese FM vows to enhance int'l cooperation with Africa

BRAZZAVILLE -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was interviewed by journalists here on Tuesday after meeting with Denis Sassou Nguesso, president of the Republic of the Congo.

When asked about the plans for China and the Republic of the Congo, co-chairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), to implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the FOCAC has played an important role in promoting Africa's development and improving the livelihood of the African people.

It has become a symbol of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation, a banner of South-South cooperation, and a model for leading international cooperation with Africa, Wang said.

Over the 25 years since the forum's establishment, China has helped Africa build 100,000 km of roads, more than 10,000 km of railways, nearly 1,000 bridges, and almost 100 ports. In the past three years, China has created more than 1 million jobs in Africa, he said.

The forum has also launched numerous livelihood projects in Africa, including initiatives focused on food, water supply, and education, benefiting people across the continent. This visit aims to collaborate with the Congolese side to build consensus on enhancing and upgrading cooperation within the forum.

Wang outlined three key considerations for implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit after extensive consultations:

Firstly, follow the direction of advancing modernization in six aspects proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, strengthen the alignment of development strategies and the exchange of governance experience, cultivate deeper resonance of ideas and shared values to broaden the scope of China-Africa relations and inject inexhaustible momentum for their development.

Secondly, continuously enrich the "spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation", blaze the right path for state-to-state relations, set an example for international cooperation with Africa to ensure that China and Africa continue to lead in building a new type of international relations and a community of shared future for mankind.

Thirdly, focus on the implementation of the ten partnership actions for modernization, identify priority directions and key projects, apply zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, build a comprehensive China-Africa connectivity network spanning land and sea, implement 1,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood projects, and improve the China-Africa investment and trade cooperation mechanism to provide Africa with a broader market, practical technology, and stable investment for its modernization.

Wang said that both China and the Republic of the Congo have formulated a "timetable" and "roadmap" for the development of the forum over the next three years.

This year, the focus will be on holding a ministerial-level meeting to coordinate and accelerate the implementation of the forum's outcomes to deliver more "early harvests". Next year, the two sides will jointly mark the 70th anniversary of China-Africa diplomatic relations and "the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges" through joint events. The 18th senior officials' meeting will accelerate the mid-term implementation of summit outcomes. In 2027, preparations for the 10th ministerial conference will serve as a driving force to ensure the comprehensive implementation and conclusion of summit outcomes.

China is ready to work with African countries to elevate the reputation of FOCAC and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind, Wang said.