Chinese and African leaders pledged to enhance cooperation on state governance during a high-level meeting on Thursday, held on the sidelines of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
The meeting was co-chaired by China's top legislator Zhao Leji and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Zhao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, emphasized the importance for China and African countries to support each other in exploring development paths suited to their own national conditions, as well as sharing the outcomes and experience of deepening reforms, expanding opening-up, promoting development and improving livelihoods.
He also proposed the establishment of a platform within the FOCAC framework for exchanging state governance experience between China and Africa. This will include various workshops, training courses, and the establishment of research centers to enhance personnel training.
On the sidelines of the meeting, African officials expressed satisfaction with the plans Zhao laid out.
"We find this very important in the sense that, just the difference between the size of China and the size of our country exposes our people to a lot more diversity than we'd have been able to do so through a conventional training program. So, we are quite happy," said Matjato Moteanz, Lesotho's Minister of Public Works and Transport.
Participants noted that the framework accommodates different national conditions and fosters mutual benefits.
"I think China has shown to the world a very unique manner with its own tools and thanks to its development plan, which could fit in different eras and different fields [with] the African countries. The African countries also from their side, can offer new experiences," said Mohamed Ali Nafti, the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad.
"We do hope that this will further strengthen the collaboration that exists between these two countries and go a long way in making the world a better and safer and more prosperous one," said Mohammed Idris, Nigerian Minister of Information and National Orientation.
Around 350 Chinese and foreign representatives attended the meeting.
The three-day FOCAC summit, which opened on Wednesday, is the largest diplomatic event hosted by China in recent years, with the highest rate of foreign leaders' attendance.
Themed "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future", the event aims to strengthen friendship and outline future cooperation between the two sides.
China, Africa to strengthen state governance exchange under FOCAC framework
The Houthi missile strike on central Israeli territory resulting in injuries is quite rare, and the attack may incur massive retaliation from Israel, said a Chinese expert on Monday.
A long-range surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen struck an unpopulated area near Israel's international airport outside Tel Aviv on Sunday. The missile triggered sirens in Tel Aviv and other cities in central Israel, sending residents running to shelters during the morning rush hour. The Israeli military said in a statement that interceptors were launched but failed to shoot down the missile, which landed in an open area.
"The missile reached inside Israeli territory, resulting in nine injuries. This is rare in the conflict between Yemen's Houthis and Israel over the past 11 months. Previously, Houthi attacks on Israel, whether through missiles or drones, had caused minimal harm to Israel," said Niu Xinchun, executive director of the China-Arab Research Institute of Ningxia University.
Yemen's Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for the missile attack on central Israel, according to a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
The incident marked the second time a projectile from Yemen has reached central Israel, following a drone attack by Houthi forces in July that killed one person in Tel Aviv.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement that the group would launch more such strikes on Israel, as the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, is marking its first anniversary.
Sarea added the attacks are in retaliation for an earlier Israeli attack on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on July, 20, which destroyed its fuel storage tanks.
"Previously, Yemen's Houthis, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iran have all claimed intentions to retaliate against Israel, suggesting that retaliation might be coordinated on many occasions. However, current indications suggest that these retaliatory actions are being conducted independently, without coordination. This implies that while there may be some collaboration in terms of weaponry, technology and personnel among them, the actual retaliatory actions are being carried out separately," said Niu.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned Houthi forces in Yemen that Israel would retaliate after the missile attack, saying "Anyone who attacks us will not escape our wrath".
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now announced that there will definitely be a large-scale retaliation against the Houthis. Based on Israel's previous behavior patterns, the scale of retaliation is expected to be significantly greater than the attack launched by the Houthis on Israel this time," said Niu.
Since November last year, the Houthis have been launching missiles and drone attacks targeting what the Houthis said were "Israeli-linked" ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as targets in Israel, to show solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Rare Houthi missile attack on Israel could trigger massive retaliation: Chinese expert
