Chinese President Xi Jinping sends a message of congratulation to the 38th African Union Assembly
On February 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of congratulation to the 38th African Union (AU) Assembly. China’s top leader has sent congratulatory messages to the AU Assembly for consecutive years, showing China’s strong commitment to China-Africa cooperation and its firm support to Africa’s development and revitalization. I believe the Africa-China relationship will continue to serve as a fine example of South-South cooperation and international cooperation with Africa. I look forward to both sides joining hands on the path of modernization to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, so as to create more benefits for the Chinese and African people.
In the congratulatory message, Xi pointed out that as the world is experiencing great changes and disorder, the Global South, represented by China and Africa, keeps growing in strength. Over the past year, the AU has rallied African countries to vigorously promote integration within the continent, stand up to regional and global challenges and make the unified voice of Africa heard. This has ensured the continuous rise of Africa’s international standing and influence. China sincerely wishes African countries and peoples new and even greater success in their independent pursuit of development and revitalization.
African countries and China always support each other in international affairs. The Global South, represented by China and Africa, is experiencing robust growth and playing an increasingly prominent role in global affairs. China-Africa cooperation embodies the concept of a new type of international relations based on mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. It serves as a fine example of South-South cooperation and international collaboration with Africa, bringing new momentum and opportunities to global development.
Xi stressed that in 2024, China-Africa relations enjoyed robust growth. The Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was successfully held. The two sides have ushered in a new stage of jointly building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. China is ready to work with African countries on the joint endeavor to implement the six propositions on modernization and ten partnership actions, to deliver more tangible benefits to the over 2.8 billion people in China and Africa.
China has been a strong supporter of the African Union’s work for a long time, and has continuously assisted African countries. Many African countries are beneficiaries of China-Africa cooperation. Since the establishment of the FOCAC, exchanges between China and Africa in various fields have been unprecedentedly active, and practical cooperation has yielded abundant results, laying a solid foundation for Africa’s modernization and integration. The Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China have gained widespread recognition among African countries. The peoples of Africa and China share a common aspiration for a better life, and there is a strong expectation for further cooperation in areas such as industrialization, agricultural modernization, and skills development, to jointly achieve the beautiful vision of modernization.
Abdeta Dribssa Beyene (PhD) is Executive Director of Centre for Dialogue, Research and Cooperation
