China will continue working with African members of FOCAC to implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit and better benefit the people of both sides, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday.

Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson/MFA PRC

Mao made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to the significance of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to China-Africa relations. The FOCAC Beijing Summit was successfully held last week. Foreign Minister Wang Yi together with foreign ministers of the current and upcoming co-chairs of FOCAC met the press. Foreign Minister Wang said that the Summit sends a strong message of China and Africa seeking common development and demonstrates the firm determination of the Global South working together in solidarity.

Mao said that FOCAC was born at the turn of the century, becoming the first platform for institutional dialogue established by China and developing countries, and the first mechanism for multilateral cooperation between China and a whole continent. Over the past 24 years since its inception, FOCAC has held four summits, nine ministerial meetings and 17 senior officials meetings. It has become an important platform for collective dialogue between China and African countries, an effective mechanism for deepening practical cooperation and a pacesetter of South-South cooperation.

Mao pointed out that since the inception of FOCAC, China-Africa relations have leapfrogged from "a new type of partnership" to "a new type of strategic partnership" to "a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership" and to "an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era," demonstrating growing strategic significance.

"China's trade volume with Africa and investment stock in Africa increased by over 20 times and 100 times respectively. Belt and Road cooperation produced fruitful outcomes. The ten cooperation plans put forward at the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg Summit, the eight major initiatives identified at the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit, and the nine programs proposed at the 2021 FOCAC Ministerial Conference in Dakar were implemented smoothly. At this year's FOCAC Summit, the ten partnership actions were proposed, bringing China-Africa practical cooperation to a new level." Mao said.

Mao stressed that there has been a rich variety of cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa, which deepened mutual understanding between the Chinese and African people, and enhanced the traditional friendship. China has set up multiple cultural centers in Africa, established over 60 Confucius Institutes, and sent medical teams to over 40 African countries, who treated close to 300 million African patients. The two sides have witnessed inspiring stories of friendship in the new era.

"At the new historical starting point, China will continue upholding the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests. We will continue working with African members of FOCAC to implement the outcomes of the Summit and better benefit the people of both sides." Mao said. (By Ma Ziqian/China Youth Daily)

来源：中国青年报客户端