China-Africa Summit : Beijing Ready To Receive African Leaders

Most streets in the already busy capital of the People’s Republic of China are witnessing an increase in traffic following the arrival of African leaders and their delegations for the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Conference (FOCAC). As a sign of State honours and appreciation, major areas in the town have been adorned with the colours of the different countries that will be participating. The conference which holds from 4-6 September, 2024 was preceded by the 17th Conference of Senior Officials yesterday 2 September as well as the ninth FOCAC Ministerial Conference of Foreign Affairs Ministers from both China and Africa today 3 September, 2024.
Cameroon has been pivotal in the preparatory phase of the upcoming FOCAC with her Ambassador to China, Martin Mpana, who is the dean of the Group of African Ambassadors to China and dean of the diplomatic corps, playing a key role in drawing up the working documents of the Summit. It is coming after the third FOCAC Summit that took place from 3-4 September, 2018 in Beijing during which President Paul Biya took an active part. He not only participated in a high-level round table chaired by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, but he made a speech during which he qualified the Summit as an occasion for China and African States to assess the progress made in their partnership and to take stock of it in order to: “Seize new opportunities for development and lay the foundations for other joint actions.” Referring to the results of the partnership, President Biya noted in 2018 that it has been: “Gratifying in view of the tangible results achieved in the political, social, economic, and infrastructural fields.”
Cameroon has benefitted from the partnership at different levels such as the ongoing construction work on the new National Assembly building that is said to be over 90 per cent done, the Yaounde Conference Centre inaugurated on 12 May, 1982; the Gynaecological-Obstetric and Paediatric hospitals in Yaounde and Douala that were inaugurated in 2003 and 2015 respectively; the Yaounde Multipurpose Sports Complex inaugurated in 2019; the football stadiums in Bafoussam and Limbe; and the Kribi Deep-seaport among others.
The FOCAC which came into existence after the China-Africa Ministerial Conference of 10-12 October 2000 has over the years focused on broadening consensus, strengthening friendship and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. Carved out around the “Belt and road Initiative” also known as the “New Silk Roads”, President Xi Jinping as a global development initiative hopes to support his African friends in their various development endeavours while China should in tend achieve its “three great reunification” project with Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Discussions at this year’s summit will be unde...