Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit Kicks Off in Beijing with Moroccan Participation

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit opened on Thursday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and African Heads of State and Government, including Morocco. Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch is representing His Majesty King Mohammed VI at the Summit, which is taking place from September 4 to 6. Akhannouch is accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita; the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of Investment, Convergence, and Evaluation of Public Policies, Mohcine Jazouli; Director-General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, Mohamed Methqal, Morocco’s Ambassador to Beijing, Abdelkader El Ansari; and the President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Businesses (CGEM), Chakib Alj. The opening session of this key event was marked by the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, along with the heads of several regional and international organizations. At the Summit’s opening, Xi expressed China’s willingness to work with Africa to implement 10 partnership action plans over the next three years to jointly advance modernization. “A third of the world’s population lives in China and Africa. There will be no global modernization without the modernization of China and Africa,” emphasized the Chinese leader, calling for elevating bilateral ties between Beijing and African countries to the level of strategic relations. “Thanks to nearly 70 years of tireless efforts by both parties, China-Africa relations are now at their best in history,” said Xi. The Summit’s program will include four high-level meetings focused on state governance, industrialization and agricultural modernization, peace and security, as well as quality cooperation under the “Belt and Road Initiative.” The agenda for the 2024 edition of this must-attend event for economic operators from both sides also includes the 8th China-Africa Business Leaders Conference. The Forum will be marked by the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan, along with a roadmap for implementing China-Africa cooperation over the next three years. FOCAC, which is celebrating its 24th anniversary this year, is a premier partnership between China and the African continent, based on the cardinal principles of solidarity, cooperation, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. Established in October 2000 in Beijing, FOCAC is China’s oldest regional forum. The mechanism gained prominence in 2006 when Beijing announced the creation of a $5 billion China-Africa Development Fund.