China-Africa Summit : Ministerial Conference Sets Groundwork

Ahead of the Fourth Summit of the Forum on China- Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which opens in the Chinese capital, Beijing today 4 September 2024, several cabinet Ministers from Africa and their Chinese counterparts met in Beijing to examine the key issues that they will table to their Heads of State. This 9th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC centred on areas of interest for the summit such as advocating for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, which jointly promotes and implements global initiatives, safeguards international fairness and justice, enhances the global governance system, boosts cooperation in new areas like the digital economy and green development based on existing infrastructure, industrialisation and agricultural development.
President Paul Biya who is on his way to the Summit dispatched an impressive number of cabinet members for the event. Some attended the 3 September 2024 FOCAC meeting with External Relations Minister, Mbella Mbella and the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey taking an active part at the discussions. Focus at the Ministerial Conference was also to point out that for the 24 years since the establishment of the FOCAC, the Forum has always adhered to the principles of planning together, building together, and benefiting together. Holding on the theme: “Joining Hands to Advance modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” the 4th FOCAC Summit will apart from the general assembly feature lots of bilateral and multilateral cooperation high-points. The highlights of the event will be a welcome banquet, an official opening ceremony, four high-level meetings on the topics of State governance, industrialization and agricultural modernization, peace and security, highquality Belt and Road cooperation, as well as the eighth Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs and other related activities. These concerns have kept the Ministers who are in China for the summit busy comparing notes and finalising key positions that their Heads of State and Governments will discuss with the People’s Republic of China. There will also be a keynote speech delivered by President Xi Jinping to elaborate on the new ideas and propositions on building a high-level community with a shared future between China and Africa. He is equally expected to announce new actions and measures for practical cooperation with Africa and hold related bilateral activities for foreign leaders attending the Summit. By the end of the discussions on 6 September 2024, participants are expected to adopt two outcome documents, the Declaration and the Action Plan, to build major consensus between the two sides and chart a path for implementing high-quality China-Africa cooperation in the next three years. As preparations geared up for the event, Mr Liu Yuxi, the Special Representative of the Chinese Government for African Affairs who is also Ambassador for the FOCAC, met with Afri...