FOCAC provides new opportunities, promotes win-win formula: Ruto

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has fostered new opportunities for China-Africa cooperation, and promoted a win-win formula that aims to leave nobody behind in the path of development, said Kenyan President William Ruto.

In an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV), broadcast on May 23, Ruto emphasized the critical role the FOCAC has played in strengthening ties between China and Africa, facilitating mutual growth, and enhancing the welfare of African people.

"I think it has provided the best possible opportunity for engagement between Africa and China and has underwritten a lot of investment opportunities, development of infrastructure. The BRI initiatives around ports and railways and roads and infrastructure have been phenomenal in achievement. And FOCAC has provided an opportunity for us to exchange views, to provide feedback, and to explore new opportunities that are mutually beneficial between Africa and China," said Ruto.

Ruto further underscored that the long-standing bilateral cooperation has underpinned the spirit of China-Africa relations, which Chinese President Xi Jinping also highlighted at the FOCAC 2024. During his opening speech, Xi emphasized that China and African countries are friends that share the path, and no one, no country should be left behind on the path to modernization.

"I think it's the most natural things friends are there for, we believe in our continent that there is a saying that if you want to walk fast, you walk alone, if you want to walk far, you walk with others. I think that is what President Xi Jinping was paraphrasing, that walking fast, you leave others behind, walking together, you go far and you leave no one behind. I think that is the spirit of the relationship between Africa and China, that as we progress, as we develop, as we trade, we must have a win-win formula that carries everybody along and leaves nobody behind," said Ruto.

The death toll in the war-torn Gaza Strip has risen to 71,412 since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct 7, 2023, with the number of injuries reaching 171,314, Gaza's health authorities said on Sunday.

In the last 48 hours, hospitals in Gaza received three bodies along with nine new injuries, according to health authorities.

Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct 11, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 442 people and wounded 1,236 others, said the authorities.