On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, I’d like to extend warm congratulations on the successful opening of the forum, and our sincere thanks to the entrepreneurs of China and Africa who have made positive contribution to the development of China-Africa friendship and cooperation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In international relations, China-Africa ties are no doubt a time-honored and fast-developing relationship with substantive content, setting a fine example of relations between developing countries. The friendly exchanges between China and Africa date back to ancient times. After the birth of New China, China and Africa have supported each other in the fight against imperialism and colonialism and the struggle for national independence and liberation, and forged ahead hand in hand along the path of pursuing development and national revitalization. Since the turn of the century, the establishment of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000 has ushered China-Africa relations into a new era of comprehensive development. The two sides have maintained frequent high level visits, achieved fruitful outcomes of practical cooperation in various fields, enhanced coordination in international and regional affairs and encouraged dynamic cultural and people-to-people exchanges. China and Africa are increasingly becoming a community of shared destiny and common interests.

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