China, African countries vow to boost high-quality Belt and Road cooperation

BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- China and African countries will strengthen their high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, said attendees of a high-level meeting of the ongoing 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Thursday.

The meeting, focusing on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, was co-chaired by Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Kenyan President William Ruto.

Addressing the meeting, Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said Africa is an important partner in the Belt and Road cooperation. By reinforcing strategic alignment and boosting practical cooperation, China and Africa have secured significant outcomes.

The high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa has demonstrated clear complementary advantages and broad cooperation prospects, Ding said, noting that China is willing to work with Africa to set a benchmark for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and bring more tangible benefits to both peoples.

China and Africa should work together to build a multi-dimensional connectivity network, promote the alignment and mutual recognition of rules and standards, and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation across the entire chain including infrastructure construction, operation and services, Ding noted.

He said that both sides should improve and upgrade economic and trade cooperation, jointly expand pragmatic cooperation in new fields, and strengthen collaboration in areas such as public health, green transition and the digital economy.

China and Africa should join hands to promote cooperative projects that benefit the people, and improve the level of cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, he said.

African leaders and representatives attending the meeting said they look forward to further strengthening strategic synergy with China, deepening cooperation across various fields, and steadily advancing the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to new heights.

About 350 representatives from China, African countries and regional organizations attended the meeting.