China-Africa Friendship Remains ‘Rock-Solid,’ Says Chinese FM

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News Investigators/ Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi. says China-Africa friendship remains rock-solid and stable, no matter what the international situation they face.

Mr. Wang made the remarks during an interview with the People’s Daily in Beijing, after concluding a New Year trip to five African nations.

He stressed that Sino-African ties would remain robust no matter what difficulties, obstacles, or disruptions they encountered.

The foreign minister had visited Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Tanzania and Seychelles, in line with a traditional annual new year visit to Africa.

The fact that Chinese foreign ministers chose Africa for their first overseas visit every year since 1991, showed that China attached great importance to Africa, Mr. Wang said.

He noted that such concrete action was an embodiment of their traditional friendship and China’s firm support for Africa’s development and revitalisation.

During his trip to Africa, Mr. Wang held meetings respectively with leaders and foreign ministers from the five African countries.

During the meetings, parties agreed to further uphold the spirit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

They also carried out in-depth exchange over the follow-ups to the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19.

The two sides, Wang said, should join hands to safeguard their legitimate right to development and national rejuvenation.

He said they should also cherish their commitment to fairness and justice, advocate true multilateralism and oppose any external interference.

In fighting the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, Wang noted that China would continue to deliver urgently needed anti-virus supplies to African friends.

China, he said, would send medical teams to countries in need, establish a cooperation mechanism of counterpart hospitals, promote the sharing of anti-virus experience.

China would also accelerate the construction of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters building, and work with G20 members on the debt suspension in Africa.

China would fulfil its firm commitment that its vaccines will be provided as global public good, and stands ready to cooperate with African countries on COVID-19 vaccines, he said.

China would also make the vaccines more accessible and affordable in Africa, Mr. Wang added.

He further said that some leaders of African countries, including Seychelles president, have said they would be among the first to take a vaccine from China.

In boosting Africa’s industrialisation and home-grown production capacity, Wang said China was willing to make joint efforts with Africa to strengthen strategic alignment.

Mr. Wang said such alignment would build consensus on cooperation in line with the expectations of African countries, and push forward the joint building of the Belt and Road between China and Africa.

He noted that during his trip, the DRC and Botswana signed respectively a memorandum of understanding with China on jointly building the Belt and Road.

According to him, by that MoU, the two countries have, respectively, become the 45th and the 46th African partner countries to participate in Belt and Road cooperation.

Mr. Wang further added that the international community had a shared responsibility to support Africa’s development.

China, he stressed, was ready to actively promote tripartite or multi-party cooperation with Africa, so as to jointly play a constructive role in promoting peace and development in Africa. (Xinhua/NAN)

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