Zambian President arrives in Beijing for FOCAC summit

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema arrived in Beijing on Saturday to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which will be held in the Chinese capital from September 4 to 6.

Hichilema's plane landed at Beijing Capital International Airport around 22:30, where he was greeted by Chinese officials and welcomed with a ceremony.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Zambia. Zambia was the first country in southern Africa to establish such ties with China. The two nations share a deep, traditional friendship, and their bilateral cooperation continues to grow.

President Hichilema made a state visit to China in September last year, during which he held talks with President Xi Jinping, and the two leaders jointly announced the elevation of China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

China and Zambia have complementary economies and broad prospects for cooperation. The Tanzania-Zambia Railway, which connects Tanzania and Zambia, is so far the largest aid project built by China in Africa and is dubbed the "monument to China-Africa friendship."

The Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, the first of its kind in Africa, reflects the deepening partnership between the two countries, further reinforced by their signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on 'Belt and Road' cooperation.

In recent years, the exchanges between the two countries in culture and health areas have been deepening. Zambia has included the Chinese language in its national education system. Since 1976, China has sent 25 medical teams to Zambia, making a significant contribution to the development of local medical services.

The upcoming summit's theme is 'Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future'.

Following the 2006 FOCAC Beijing Summit, the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg Summit, and the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit, the upcoming summit will be another happy reunion for the friendly family of China and Africa. It will also be the largest diplomatic event hosted by China in recent years.

Zambian President arrives in Beijing for FOCAC summit

Zambian President arrives in Beijing for FOCAC summit

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday met with Prak Sokhonn, Cambodian deputy prime minister and foreign minister, and chairman of the Commission for External Relations of the Central Committee of the Cambodian People's Party.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the friendship between China and Cambodia has withstood the test of international changes, and under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, the ironclad friendship between the two countries has entered a new stage.

Wang said China is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with Cambodia, promote the construction of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era, enhance high-level strategic coordination to address risks and challenges, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of both countries, and promote regional peace and stability.

Prak Sokhonn said that Cambodia is firmly committed to a friendly policy toward China and is willing to enhance political mutual trust, promote practical cooperation, strengthen diplomatic coordination, and continuously elevate the Cambodia-China friendship to new heights.

Chinese foreign minister meets Cambodian deputy prime minister