China-Africa relations continue to yield fruitful results in 2024

China

China-Africa relations continue to yield fruitful results in 2024

2025-01-05 14:57 Last Updated At：19:17

After flourishing for over the past 70 years, China-Africa relations have continued to yield fruitful results in 2024.

At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in September, bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China were elevated to the level of strategic relations.

Meanwhile, the overall characterization of China-Africa relations was elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

The FOCAC Beijing Summit affirmed that the two sides should jointly advance modernization characterized by six features and announced 10 partnership actions for China and Africa to advance modernization.

A good number of signature programs and small and beautiful projects have been delivered in Africa, transforming life on the continent.

Among them, he Niger Third Bridge Project aided by China boosted local incomes by creating over 3,800 jobs and generating 200 million yuan or more than 27 million U.S. dollars in economic benefits.

In Cote d'Ivoire, Chinese support transformed the Gagnoa Development Zone into a leading rice production base, highlighting successful agricultural cooperation.

At the same time, economic ties are also thriving.

In 2023, trade reached 282 billion dollars, with direct investment exceeding 40 billion dollars.

By mid-2024, trade had grown by another 5.5 percent. Starting in December, China extended zero-tariff treatment to 33 African nations.

China's contributions to Africa extend to health care and education, with over 130 hospitals built or upgraded and 17 Luban Workshops in vocational training established.

Poverty alleviation programs have benefited more than 10 million Africans.

Pakistani PM attends business investment event in Hangzhou

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the third Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference for the information technology and telecommunications, battery energy storage systems, and agricultural sectors in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province on Sunday morning.

Sharif arrived in Hangzhou on Saturday for an official visit to China that will run through Tuesday, at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang.

As one of the key events during the prime minister's visit, the B2B investment conference brought together senior executives and industry leaders from both countries.

During the event, Sharif witnessed the singing of multiple economic and trade agreements between the two countries and delivered a speech to the attending business representatives. In his remarks, he specially commemorated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan.

The prime minister said that substantial memorandums of understanding (MOUs) had been signed during his previous visits, as well as this Hangzhou conference. He stressed that these MOUs need to be transformed into formal agreements, expecting further bilateral cooperation in four key sectors including agriculture.

Business representatives from both countries started discussions on cooperation at the match-making area right after the event's opening ceremony. With over 500 Chinese and Pakistani companies in attendance, the event highlighted the growing cooperation between the two countries in emerging industries.

Prime Minister Sharif will visit a Chinese internet company in Hangzhou on Sunday afternoon.