Chinese president, African leaders discuss development strategy

JOHANNESBURG -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is attending a major China-Africa summit here, held a group meeting with leaders of 13 African countries Friday on the sidelines of the summit, discussing development strategy.

Xi met with leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Comoros, South Sudan, Morocco, Rwanda, Botswana and others. He also held bilateral meetings with nine African leaders on Thursday..

In the group meeting, he told the African leader that his visit to the continent has two purposes: one is to co-chair the Johannesburg summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) with South African President Jacob Zuma, the other being to discuss development strategy with African leaders attending the summit.

Strengthening solidarity between China and Africa and upgrading development cooperation serves the common interest of both sides, and is their shared mission, said Xi.

He added that China and Africa are facing a historic opportunity, with both sides needing each other in development, and can complement each other in their endeavor for growth.

Xi also introduced to African leaders China's economic situation, and the country's recently set development goals, ideas and direction, stressing that China is willing to contribute more to African development and welcome Africa to grow with China.

African leaders attending the meeting applauded the importance China attached to Africa, saying that to achieve industrialization and agriculture modernization, African countries need closer cooperation with China.

Noting that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is important to Africa, they extended their welcome for China's participation in railways, roads, ports building projects on the continent, as well as the country's help for Africa in production capacity building.

Themed "Africa-China Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development," the summit is the second of its kind under the 15-year-old framework of the FOCAC, which groups China, 50 African countries that have established diplomatic ties with China, and the Commission of the African Union.