BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping will attend and deliver a keynote speech to the opening ceremony of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Monday via video link.

Attaching great importance to China-Africa relations, Xi has been consistently pushing for the building of the China-Africa community with a shared future. The following are some highlights of his remarks in this regard.

June 21, 2021

In a phone conversation with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Xi said that China is ready to work with Tanzania to consolidate political mutual trust, strengthen mutual support, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and make positive contributions to the building of the China-Africa community with a shared future.

June 17, 2020

"In the face of COVID-19, China and Africa have offered mutual support and fought shoulder to shoulder with each other," Xi said at the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19.

"In the face of COVID-19, China and Africa have enhanced solidarity and strengthened friendship and mutual trust," Xi added.

"To help Africa achieve sustainable development is what matters in the long run. China supports Africa in its effort to develop the African Continental Free Trade Area and to enhance connectivity and strengthen industrial and supply chains. China will explore broader cooperation with Africa in such new business forms as digital economy, smart city, clean energy, and 5G to boost Africa's development and revitalization," he said.

June 25, 2019

In a congratulatory letter for the opening of the Coordinators' Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC, Xi said the FOCAC Beijing Summit is a milestone in the history of China-Africa relations.

He said he hopes that the two sides will uphold the principle of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits, enhance communication and synergy, deepen solidarity and cooperation, and make solid progress in pushing for the implementation of the FOCAC Beijing summit's achievements and joint construction of the Belt and Road.

In doing so, he added, the two sides can continuously improve the well-being of the 2.6 billion people in China and Africa and make unremitting efforts to build an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future.

Sept 3, 2018

Delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the FOCAC, Xi said, "With similar fate in the past and a common mission, China and Africa have extended sympathy to and helped each other throughout all the years. Together, we have embarked on a distinctive path of win-win cooperation."

"Marching on this path, China has followed the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests. China has stood with African countries. Together, we have worked in unity and forged ahead," Xi said.