President Xi Jinping has announced the plans as part of efforts to strengthen ties with the continent
Leaders and delegations from more than 50 African countries are in Beijing for a three-day summit, which the Chinese Foreign Ministry has hailed as the largest diplomatic event the country has hosted in recent years. Chinese President Xi Jinping used the occasion to announce plans for $50 billion in joint projects on the continent.
The China-Africa Cooperation Summit (FOCAC) aims to strengthen ties between the Asian nation and a continent where Beijing and Russia’s influence has been a source of concern for the US and its EU allies, which are experiencing setbacks to their presence.
In a speech at the FOCAC opening ceremony on Thursday, Xi hailed his country’s relations with Africa, claiming they are now at their peak due to nearly 70 years of tireless efforts from both sides.
“I propose that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations,” Xi said.
He announced ten partnership action plans that Beijing intends to implement with the continent to modernize and deepen cooperation, including investments in green technologies, education, health, security, and agriculture.
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“China will provide Africa with 1 billion yuan in emergency food assistance, build 100,000 mu (about 6,670 hectares) of standardized agriculture demonstration areas in Africa, send 500 agricultural experts, and establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance,” the president said.
