The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be an important step in the long journey of Africa and China toward shared development, said Professor Yoro Diallo, former First Counsellor of the Embassy of Mali in China.
Diallo, along with other scholars from 50 African countries, sent a joint letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, warmly congratulating the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), commending FOCAC's historic achievements, and expressing hope that the upcoming summit will open a new chapter in building a China-Africa community with a shared future and promoting the joint modernization of the Global South.
President Xi recently responded to the letter, stating that China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future and emphasizing that in the face of a volatile and complex global situation, China and Africa need to strengthen their solidarity and cooperation more than ever.
During an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Diallo expressed surprise at receiving President Xi’s response so quickly and was delighted by Xi’s encouragement and suggestions.
"We were pleasantly surprised to receive President Xi Jinping's response so quickly. And this answer was quite satisfying, as the president not only addressed our concerns but also went further by making suggestions, encouraging us, and mentoring us, Chinese and African intellectuals and academics, to work towards creating a world of development, promoting peace, promoting shared development, and promoting academic and scientific relations between China and Africa, to the happiness of all," he said.
Diallo said that FOCAC 2024 is a reliable platform for promoting global peace.
"We are convinced that this summit meeting to be held in Beijing between September 4 and 6 will be a new starting point, an important step in the long march of Africa and China towards shared development, towards the promotion of peace, towards peace in the world, but also towards what we can call the construction of a more solid China-Africa community with a shared future, the building of a community with a global future for peace for the world and for the people. Responding to the people's aspirations, I think this forum is an ideal platform on which we can count to build a world of peace and shared development," said Diallo.
Speaking about South-South cooperation, Diallo said he believes the upcoming FOCAC 2024 could be a pivotal event for advancing further collaboration between Africa and China.
"When we look back at history, we remember that in 1955 at Bandung, during what was known as the Non-Aligned Conference, 29 countries from the Global South, including China, decided to strengthen the Asia-Africa axis. And since that moment, China has been committed to respecting its initial commitments. It is this commitment that is driving Africa toward the development it is beginning to achieve today and I think this forum will be the starting point not only for major decisions regarding Africa's industrialization but also for heightened emphasis on scientific cooperation, academic cooperation, and cultural cooperation between China and African countries," he said.
Malian diplomat hails FOCAC as key step in China-Africa cooperation
