After his arrival in Johannesburg, the largest city of South Africa and an economic center in the region, for a historic summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Xi held separate meetings with nine leaders of African countries.
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The president noted that since its inauguration in May, his government had embarked on the task of re-focusing governance on the real needs of the vast majority of Nigerians.
Two years ago, Xi had proposed equality, practicability, commitment and sincerity in China-Africa cooperation.
Security now occupies a prominent place, along with business and culture, on the agenda of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac).
In addition to the opening ceremony, the Chinese president had a busy schedule the whole day, discussing development strategy with leaders of African countries, and joining leaders from across Africa at a business conference.
He added, once again, detractors had sought to reduce China’s ties with Africa to mere commerce, driven by China’s desire to extract raw materials.
China will negotiate free-trade agreements with Africa to promote imports from the continent and support the agriculture industry to help create more local jobs, Mr. Xi said.
China and Africa now are facing a rare historic opportunity of cooperation and development, he said, noting China has set its new development prospect in the coming years and the two sides have respective advantages in cooperation.
China would encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Ghana and participate in its infrastructure construction, including power, telecommunication, ports and roads, he said during a meeting with his Ghanaian counterpart, John Dramani Mahama.
In the group meeting on Friday morning, Xi told 13 African leaders that strengthening solidarity between China and Africa and upgrading development cooperation serve the common interest of both sides.
China and Africa are always good friends, good partners and good brothers, he added.
China’s top envoy in Africa does not believe his compatriots are being targeted by terrorists on the continent.
Later on Friday, Xi joined leaders from across Africa at a business conference and put forth a five-pronged proposal on further deepening win-win cooperation between the world’s second-largest economy and the fast developing continent.
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China supports African countries’ efforts in exploring a development path in line with their own national conditions, said the president.
