China said Africa is land of hope in the 21st century and there will be no global modernization without African modernization.
The country's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a pressed Friday China will support for an African ‘voice in international affairs’ as ‘crucial to the shared destiny of humanity.
Wang Yi pledged to help Africa accelerate its economic development as Beijing looks to strengthen ties at a time when the United States is cutting off aid to the continent.
The pledge also included to help the continent “speed up the process of industrialization and modernization in agriculture” and keep up with the development of “digitalization, green sectors and artificial intelligence”.
The Foreign Minister also said Beijing would promote Africa’s “representation and voice in international affairs”, adding: “Africa is the land of hope for the 21st century; without the modernization of Africa, there can be no modernization of the world. “The stability and development of Africa are crucial to the shared destiny of humanity. The world should listen to Africa’s voice and pay attention to its concerns.
“Africa is undergoing a new awakening, and all nations should support Africa in forging a new path of self-reliance and self-strengthening development.” The foreign minister also pointed to Beijing’s efforts to help improve governance and the establishment of more than a thousand projects to help improve livelihoods – two areas where Beijing has traditionally provided strong support for African countries.
He noted that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will mark its 25th anniversary this year; he noted that many achievements have been made in these years.