In the joint statement issued Thursday in Johannesburg following the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue, China committed to promote Africa's regional economic integration by strengthening and integrating intra-African trade.
RELATED:
Cuban President Meets Chinese Counterpart in South Africa
The African side commends China for introducing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative in support of strengthening multilateralism and is confident that the development of China and Africa will generate more opportunities for peace and development in the world, the statement said.
It noted that the two sides will continue to create synergies between the high-quality China-Africa Belt and Road cooperation and the African Union's Agenda 2063 and African countries' national development strategies in order to take China-Africa cooperation to higher levels.
Both sides also reiterated their commitment to further push forward the construction of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). They reaffirmed as well their strong commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and their firm support for each other in upholding territorial integrity, sovereignty, security and development interests.
According to the statement, the Chinese side supported African countries in exploring development paths compatible with their national conditions, and the African side reiterated its firm commitment to the one-China policy.
The two nations highlighted the importance of the African Peace and Security Architecture as a strong policy framework to address security challenges and threats on the continent.
The Chinese side welcomed the constructive and creative initiative undertaken by African leaders aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In this regard, the statement noted that the two sides called for broader dialogue and engagement to build trust, and the creation of an environment conducive to dialogue between the warring parties.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa referred to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) noting that "We conclude these deliberations with a clear understanding that the African Continental Free Trade Area is the engine for African economic and regional integration. We have discussed that investment in infrastructure in Africa will need to be significantly scaled up."
"The adoption of our joint statement a few minutes ago will further cement our determination and commitment to enhance China-Africa relations," said Ramaphosa, who added: "We must use all the necessary regional and continental tools, through our Regional Economic Communities and the African Union, to realize our commitment to an integrated, dynamic and prosperous Africa."
The China-Africa Leaders’ Roundtable Dialogue co-chaired by Ramaphosa and Xi Jinping was held in an effort to further enhance and strengthen multilateral and international cooperation and partnership for the benefit of Africa’s development.
The session took place at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, in the framework of the 15th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit, held in South Africa. Xi, on his fourth state visit to South Africa, participated in the three-day summit that concluded this Thursday.