NAIROBI, Kenya – China is set to host a high-profile summit with African leaders in Beijing from September 4 to September 6.
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will bring together heads of state and representatives from African nations, alongside Chinese officials and international organizations.
Announcing the event, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying emphasized the significance of the summit, stating, “Leaders of FOCAC’s African members will attend the summit at the invitation of the forum.”
The event, themed “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” aims to forge stronger ties between China and Africa in various sectors.
The summit comes at a pivotal moment as China seeks to bolster its strategic alliances on the African continent.
President William Ruto of Kenya, among other African leaders, is expected to participate in discussions that will explore opportunities for future cooperation.
Kenya and China have already been in dialogue about potential areas of collaboration, including education and infrastructure development.
“The meeting will bring cooperation opportunities for our friends for the next five years and beyond,” Zhou Pingjian, the Chinese ambassador to Kenya, stated.
The agenda includes a review of the progress made since the last ministerial summit in Dakar, Senegal, in November 2021, with a focus on accelerating modernization efforts in Africa.
A briefing on the summit noted, “Chinese and African leaders will get together for discussions on taking China-Africa cooperation to the next level and keeping it up to date.”
The discussions are expected to address governance and development strategies, with China reaffirming its support for Africa’s self-determined modernization path.
The meeting will also ratify the Dar es Salaam Consensus, a set of agreements aimed at enhancing cooperation in key areas such as infrastructure and clean energy.
China’s contributions to Africa include the construction of 150,000 kilometers of communication backbone networks, benefiting over 700 million users, as well as various clean energy and transport projects.
The summit is a continuation of China’s broader strategy to deepen its relationships in Africa, as evidenced by President Ruto’s participation in the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative Forum in China last October.
