Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo have both sent congratulatory letters to the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), warmly congratulating the participants on the convening of the meeting.
In his letter, Xi Jinping noted that since its establishment 25 years ago, FOCAC has significantly driven the flourishing development of China-Africa cooperation and has become a model for solidarity and collaboration in the Global South.
He recalled that during the FOCAC Beijing Summit in September of last year, he and African leaders unanimously agreed to jointly promote a modernization process that is just, equitable, open, and eco-friendly, prioritizing the people while embracing diversity and inclusiveness, all underpinned by peace and security.
They also committed to ten partnership actions aimed at advancing China-Africa relations into a new stage, focusing on building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides, the implementation of the Summit’s outcomes has already produced encouraging early results, Xi added.
There is also a consensus on organizing the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges in 2026, which Xi believes will inject new vitality into China-Africa friendly cooperation.
Xi Jinping emphasized that the current international landscape is characterized by intertwined changes and turbulence.
The Chinese leader reaffirmed China’s commitment to creating new opportunities for the world through achievements in Chinese modernization and providing new momentum for Africa and other Global South partners through China’s expansive market.
He highlighted agreements for economic partnerships aimed at shared development, including zero-tariff measures that grant 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China zero-tariff treatment on 100 per cent of tariff lines, thus facilitating greater access for exports from Africa’s least developed countries to China.
“China is ready to work with the African side to further implement the ten partnership actions, strengthen cooperation in key areas such as green industries, e-commerce and payment, science and technology, and artificial intelligence, deepen cooperation in such fields as security, finance, and the rule of law, and jointly promote high-quality development of China-Africa cooperation,” Xi said.
Xi Jinping asserted that openness and cooperation are the right paths forward, and mutual benefit is the shared aspiration of both peoples.
He expressed hope that joint efforts by China and Africa to advance modernization will enhance solidarity and cooperation in the Global South, opening up brighter prospects for peace and development worldwide.
He urged both sides to continue diligently implementing the Summit’s outcomes, carefully planning the future development of FOCAC, and collaborating to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future, thereby contributing to a community with a shared future for mankind.
In his congratulatory letter, as African co-chair of the FOCAC, President Denis Sassou Nguesso stated that since the convening of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, Africa-China strategic and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results.
This Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the FOCAC.
He pledged to make all-out efforts and work unwaveringly with President Xi Jinping to make greater progress in building an Africa-China community with a shared future and to enhance the well-being of the people on both sides.
“As the African co-chair of the FOCAC, the Republic of the Congo is work with China and other Global South countries to strengthen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, jointly build a multipolar world free from unilateralism and protectionism, and usher in a new era of universally beneficial and inclusive globalization,” he said.
