2020年CRI China, Africa to build a community of shared future（在线收听）

Chinese officials are pledging more cooperation with Africa at the opening ceremony of a key meeting among Chinese and African officials in Beijing.

The promise of further cooperation between China and Africa has been made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who made the pledge as part of a keynote speech to the opening of a Coordinators' Meeting designed to follow-up on last September's Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

"We always believe that China-Africa cooperation is part of the international cooperation with Africa. It will not only contribute to the common development and shared interest between China and Africa, but will also create conditions for greater international cooperation. China will continue to play a leading role in China-Africa cooperation and to encourage the international community to increase investment in Africa. We will work with other countries to pool our strengths to form a synergy, and help with the development and rejuvenation of African countries and make life more colorful and rewarding for the African people," says Wang.

Wang Yi is also urging the African side to stick to the development path they've jointly set out to help build up the Belt and Road Initiative, calling on the African delegates to do more to uphold multilateralism and safeguard their common interests.

Diplomats from the African side have issued their own promises to work with China to achieve the FOCAC goals, suggesting their cooperation with China not only benefits themselves, but also helps support world peace.

"This meeting that we are having now is to make the implementation as we are the first year after the (FOCAC Beijing) summit, then it makes more rooms for the projects that we are working with China. For me, this meeting is the new beginning to settle the platform on which we will cooperate for the next coming three years," says Simon Pierre Adovelande, Benin's Ambassador to China.

Nabeela Tunis, Sierra Leone's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, says China's experience with development over the few past decades is more valuable than direct financial support.

"We look forward to several areas of cooperation as to how we can also lift people out of abject poverty, so we'd be happy to have China help us, share their experiences and probably a couple of tips that we need to do the same as well," says Tunis.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory note to opening session of the FOCAC coordination session, calling on both sides to be diligent in improving the welfare of the 2.6 billion people who live in both China and Africa.

A series of cooperation deals have also been signed as part of the session, and the group has also issued a joint statement, pledging continued support for the FOCAC mission.