FOCAC Summit: China's largest diplomatic event in recent years

The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will take place in Beijing September 4-6, bringing together leaders from China and over 50 African nations, along with representatives from African regional organizations and international bodies.

This summit marks the fourth time FOCAC has been held in a summit format and stands as the largest diplomatic event hosted by China in recent years, featuring the highest attendance of foreign leaders, Caliber.Az reports via Chinese media.

In the lead-up to the summit, African leaders have been arriving in Beijing, where Chinese President Xi Jinping began bilateral meetings with attendees on September 2, marking the official start of the summit period.

This year's summit theme, "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," underscores the focus on exploring modernization pathways. China and Africa, both facing similar historical and developmental challenges, aim to enhance their cooperation. China, as the largest developing country, and Africa, with its concentration of developing nations, share a mutual understanding of the struggles of poverty and aggression and a common goal of achieving modernization and improving living standards.

President Xi's initiatives, including the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, have garnered widespread support from African countries, accelerating the community’s development. Since his first official overseas visit to Africa in 2013, President Xi has emphasized the shared future between China and Africa. The FOCAC, which has evolved from a focus on economic and trade cooperation to encompass governance, cultural exchanges, peace, security, and public health, remains a crucial platform for deepening the China-Africa partnership and exemplifies the dynamic nature of international cooperation with Africa.