FOCAC Summit Takes Off In Beijing

President Akufo-Addo in a pose with Ghanaian community in Beijing, China ahead of FOCAC Summit

THE MUCH-Talked-about ‘2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation’ has officially kick-started on Monday in Beijing, the capital of China, amid pomp and pageantry.

The programme, among other things, seeks to deepen economic, business and other relations that exist between China and Africa to ensure proper progress of their people.

African leaders including President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, just to mention a few, are attending the big event.

Speaking at the opening of the FOCAC, Chinese President, Xi Jinping, announced eight key areas that his country seeks to cooperate with Africa to enable the continent overcome its challenges and grow.

He mentioned some of them as industrialization, trade facilitation, green development, manufacturing, peace and security and others that would help the continent to overcome poverty and diseases.

Xi Jinping stated that China had stayed faithful in its cooperation with Africa over the years, pointing out that his country is even prepared and determined to do even more to enhance the development of Africa.

In this regard, he explained that the eight major initiatives that China had adopted to assist Africa to overcome its challenges within the next three years and beyond would be given maximum attention.

He announced that China would in the next three years provide US$60 billion financial support to assist in key areas in Africa’s developmental agenda, adding that China is serious about Africa’s growth.

Xi Jinping said China’s cooperation with Africa is based on mutual respect therefore China would never try to impose anything on Africa as the two parties forge ahead.

“The cooperation is a win-win situation for both China and Africa”, the Chinese leader re-echoed, attracting wild applause. He reiterated that his country would especially support Africa to alleviate poverty and diseases.

On his part, the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, observed with pride that Africa and China’s cooperation had yielded significant benefits for the two parties, urging them to sustain their relations.

According to him, the cooperation has especially seen China providing financial support, which has resulted in Africa accomplishing infrastructural projects to better the lives of millions of people on the continent.

Going forward, the UN Chief entreated China to support Africa to enable it deal with climate-change issues, adding that the UN firmly stands by the Africa and China Cooperation since it is a good and productive move.

The Chairman of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki lauded Africa and China for deciding to cooperate for their mutual benefit, saying “unilateralism hampers fair equitable global order”.

He stated that FOCAC has the potential and, indeed, it has helped to boost Africa’s integration and development, hailing China for its resolve to initiate new policies that would lead to the growth of the two parties.

Nana Speaks Today

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo, who is on a State visit to China, is expected to mount the podium and deliver his address at the ongoing FOCAC in Beijing today, which is the second day of the event.

Reports gathered indicated that the African leaders and the international media, who are present in Beijing, are hankering to see the Ghanaian leader, who commands a lot of respect on the global arena, deliver his address.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Beijing, China

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