Ministerial meeting held in China on FOCAC follow-up actions

The opening ceremony of Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held on Wednesday in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso sent congratulatory letters separately to the meeting.

In his letter, Xi extended warm congratulations on the convening of the meeting running from Tuesday to Thursday. Xi said he hopes both sides will continue to steadily implement the outcome of FOCAC Beijing Summit in September last year, carefully plan future development for FOCAC, work together to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Noting that the ministerial meeting of coordinators coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of FOCAC, Sassou said in his letter that the strategic and practical cooperation between Africa and China has registered fruitful results since the FOCAC Beijing Summit.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and read out President Xi's congratulatory letter.

Wang said that President Xi profoundly expounded on the great significance of China-Africa unity and cooperation, and announced important measures for China to further expand its openness and cooperation with Africa, leading the way for China and Africa to work together to promote modernization and build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

"China and Africa must stand in solidarity and pursue self-reliance. We must remain firmly on the right side of history, proactively spearheading the course of our times. The stability and resilience of China-Africa relations serve as a counterbalance to global uncertainty," Wang said.

Jean-Claude Gakosso, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Congo, also spoke at the opening ceremony. He noted that nine months after the FOCAC Beijing Summit, China and Africa have been actively implementing the common understandings reached by the leaders and the 10 partnership actions, which have yielded encouraging new progress.

"I call for accelerating the concrete implementation of the 10 partnership actions to enhance the well-being of African people and advance the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future," he said.

Ministerial meeting held in China on FOCAC follow-up actions

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that Seoul firmly adheres to the one-China principle, in comments made ahead of his upcoming state visit to China.

The remarks were made in an interview with China Media Group (CMG). The visit is scheduled for Jan 4–7.

"The consensus reached between governments of the Republic of Korea and China when diplomatic relations were established continues to be the fundamental principle governing our relations, and its effectiveness remains steadfast. I want to clearly state that the ROK has always adhered to the one-China principle. Maintaining peace and stability in regional matters, including in Northeast Asia and concerning the Taiwan issue, holds significant importance to us," said Lee.

"The foundational relationship between the ROK and China was established on a very principled and fundamental basis from the beginning. It is clear that the ROK government has always adhered to this position and has never wavered from it. I believe that the sound development of ROK-China relations depends on both sides fully respecting each other's core interests and being mutually tolerant of each other's positions. In this context, we will, as always, uphold the one-China principle as the Taiwan issue is China's most fundamental concern," he said.

ROK president reiterates firm adherence to one-China principle