Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Jingwen

Johannesburg, August 24th, Xinhua News Agency

Jointly promoting modernization and creating a better future for China and Africa

——Keynote speech at the China Africa Leaders Dialogue

the People's Republic of China President Xi Jinping

Dear President Ramaphosa,

Dear heads of state,

 Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to preside over the China Africa Leaders Dialogue with President Ramaphosa. After 5 years, I once again met with African friends face-to-face to renew our friendship and discuss cooperation, feeling very friendly. Thank you to all colleagues for attending the meeting. I also extend sincere greetings to the leaders of African countries who did not attend the meeting.

Africa is a land of hope for the 21st century. This is my tenth time stepping onto the African continent, and every time I come here, I can feel the new development and changes in Africa. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Organization of African Unity, and I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all colleagues and the people of Africa.

For the past 60 years, under the banner of Pan Africanism, African countries have made great strides along the path of independence, unity, self-improvement, and integration construction, demonstrating their African strength in the struggle to uphold multilateralism and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. The African Union's Agenda 2063 is steadily advancing, the African Continental Free Trade Area has been officially implemented, and cooperation among sub regional organizations is constantly strengthening. Africa is becoming an important pole with global influence.

After taking office as the President of China in 2013, I made my first visit to Africa and put forward the concept of genuine, friendly, and sincere policies towards Africa. Over the past 10 years, we have adhered to this concept, together with our African friends, drawn strength from the spirit of China Africa friendship and cooperation, firmly moved forward on the road of solidarity and cooperation, adhered to morality in the changing international situation, stood by and helped each other under the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, and pushed China Africa relations to a new level, entering a new stage of building a high-level China Africa community of common destiny.

 Dear Colleagues,

At present, China is marching towards the second centennial goal. The goal is to comprehensively build a strong, prosperous, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful modern socialist power by the time New China is founded 100 years ago, and comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese path to modernization. Africa is accelerating towards the beautiful vision outlined in the African Union's 2063 Agenda, striving to build a new Africa that is peaceful, united, prosperous, and self reliant. China and Africa should work together to create a favorable environment for realizing their respective development visions.

——Jointly promote a just and reasonable international order. We must inherit the spirit of solidarity, practice true multilateralism, firmly oppose the legacy of colonialism and various hegemonic acts, firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests, firmly adhere to the just propositions of developing countries, and promote the development of the international order towards a more just and reasonable direction.

——To jointly maintain a global environment of peace and security. Africa is tirelessly striving towards the goal of eliminating gunfire. We are willing to work with the African side to practice a new security concept that is common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable. We advocate for dialogue to bridge differences and cooperation to resolve disputes, promote political solutions to international and regional hotspot issues, and maintain world peace and stability. We must adhere to the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and maintain global ecological environment security.

——Jointly building an open and inclusive world economy. We must adhere to demolishing walls instead of building them, opening up instead of isolation, adhering to consultation, co construction, and sharing, not pursuing a winner takes all approach, promoting the construction of an open world economy, allowing developing countries to better integrate into international division of labor, and share the fruits of economic globalization. We must transcend cultural barriers through cultural exchange, promote inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations, and make further contributions to human progress.

 Dear Colleagues,

The path towards modernization is diverse and diverse. What kind of development path is most suitable for Africa, and African people have the most voice. Promoting integration is a modernization path independently chosen by African countries and peoples. China has always firmly supported and is willing to be a follower of Africa's modernization path. Over the years, China has helped Africa build a large amount of connectivity infrastructure, conducted extensive cooperation with the African Union and various regional organizations, and assisted in the construction of Pan African landmark projects such as the African Union Conference Center and the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Looking towards the future, China will strengthen the docking of development strategies with Africa. Based on the platform of jointly building the "the Belt and Road" and the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, China will expand dialogue and communication between the two sides at all levels in combination with the African Union's 2063 Agenda, and support the African Free Trade Area Secretariat, the Pan African Payment and Settlement System, the African Broadcasting Union and other integration institutions to establish cooperation mechanisms with China.

China will continue to support Africa in speaking with one voice in international affairs and continuously enhancing its international status. China will actively promote the African Union to become a formal member of the G20 at the G20 Leaders Summit next month, support special arrangements for prioritizing the resolution of Africa's demands on the issue of UN Security Council reform, and call on multilateral financial institutions to enhance the voice of African countries.

To plan practical cooperation between China and Africa in the next stage and help Africa's integration and modernization enter the fast lane, I propose the following three measures:

——China is willing to launch the "Support Africa Industrialization Initiative". China will mobilize its cooperation resources and enterprises with Africa, support the development of manufacturing in Africa, and achieve industrialization and economic diversification. China will also combine the implementation of the nine projects of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation to promote the tilt of resources such as aid and investment towards industrial projects.

——China is willing to implement the "China Assistance Plan for Agricultural Modernization in Africa". China will assist Africa in expanding food crop cultivation, encourage Chinese enterprises to increase investment in agriculture, strengthen agricultural technology cooperation in seed industry, and assist in the transformation and upgrading of African agriculture. In November this year, we will hold the second China Africa Agricultural Cooperation Forum in Hainan.

To help Africa cope with the current food crisis, China will provide a new batch of emergency food aid to African countries in need. More importantly, China believes that Africa can achieve food self-sufficiency through its own efforts.

——China is willing to implement the "China Africa Talent Training Cooperation Plan". The Chinese side plans to train 500 vocational school principals and backbone teachers in Africa every year, and cultivate 10000 compound talents with Chinese language and vocational skills. China is willing to invite 20000 government officials and technical talents from African countries to participate in the training and seminar activities. To support Africa in enhancing its scientific and educational innovation capabilities, China will also implement the "100 University Cooperation Plan between China and Africa" and launch 10 pilot projects of China Africa Partnership Research Institutes.

 Dear Colleagues,

The current world is intertwined with turmoil, and the century long changes are accelerating their evolution. How to solve the development deficit, solve the security dilemma, and strengthen mutual learning among civilizations is a common issue of the times that we are facing. To this end, I propose the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative, advocating peace, development, cooperation, and win-win, and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, which has received widespread support from African countries. China and Africa are answering historical questions through the vivid practice of jointly exploring modernization, and working together to promote the historic feat of cooperation, win-win, harmonious coexistence, and shared civilization.

Next year, we will hold the next Forum on China Africa Cooperation in China, where China and Africa will once again discuss future development plans. This is a major event that we all look forward to. I believe that both China and Africa will further promote traditional friendship, deepen unity and cooperation, and promote the vigorous development of cooperation in various fields. Jointly promoting modernization between China and Africa will undoubtedly create a better future for both peoples and set an example for promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind!

Thank you.