China and Africa have stepped up coordination in turning the strategic common understandings between the leaders of both sides into strong momentum for China-Africa high quality cooperation providing solid and reliable support and drive for Africa’s modernization. China had in-depth communication with the Republic of the Congo, the African co-chair of FOCAC, and extensive consultations with African countries, and jointly made a timetable and roadmap for the implementation of the follow-up actions after the Summit.
Since the Summit, China has provided RMB 130.32 billion yuan in financial support to the African side, and RMB 139.95 billion yuan in insurance coverage for China-Africa cooperation. Early outcomes of the follow-up actions have been achieved.
On June 11, 2025, President Xi Jinping and President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso respectively sent congratulatory letters to the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and extended warm congratulations to the convening of the meeting.
Xi Jinping pointed out that since its establishment 25 years ago, the FOCAC has strongly driven the flourishing development of China-Africa cooperation and become a model for solidarity and cooperation in the Global South. Xi Jinping recalled that in September last year, at the FOCAC Beijing Summit, he and African leaders unanimously agreed to jointly advance modernization that is just and equitable, open and win-win and eco-friendly, puts the people first, features diversity and inclusiveness, and is underpinned by peace and security, and to take ten partnership actions, steering China-Africa relations into a new stage of building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of both sides, the implementation of the outcomes of the Summit has already yielded a number of encouraging early harvests. The two sides have also reached a consensus on organizing the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges in 2026. Xi Jinping expressed the belief that this will inject new vitality into China-Africa friendly cooperation.
Xi Jinping emphasized that the current international landscape is marked by intertwined changes and turbulence. China remains committed to creating new opportunities for the world through the new achievements in Chinese modernization, and providing new momentum for Africa and other Global South partners through China’s big market.
Through the entry into agreements on economic partnership for shared development, China implements zero-tariff measures of granting 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, and facilitates greater access for exports from Africa’s least developed countries to China.
China is ready to work with the African side to further implement the ten partnership actions, strengthen cooperation in key areas such as green industries, e-commerce and payment, science and technology, and artificial intelligence, deepen cooperation in such fields as security, finance, and the rule of law, and jointly promote high-quality development of China-Africa cooperation.
Xi Jinping pointed out that openness and cooperation are the right path forward, and mutual benefit is the shared aspiration of the people. Joint efforts by China and Africa to advance modernization will strongly promote solidarity and cooperation in the Global South and open up brighter prospects for the cause of peace and development around the world.
He expressed hope that both sides will continue to advance the implementation of the outcomes of the Summit with solid efforts, carefully plan the future development of the FOCAC, and work hand in hand to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, contributing the strength of China and Africa to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
In his congratulatory letter, President Denis Sassou Nguesso said that since the convening of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, Africa-China strategic and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results. This Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the FOCAC. He pledged to make all-out efforts and work unwaveringly with President Xi Jinping to make greater progress in building an Africa-China community with a shared future and to enhance the well-being of the people on both sides.
In closing he emphasised that as the African co-chair of the FOCAC, the Republic of the Congo will work with China and other Global South countries to strengthen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, jointly build a multipolar world free from unilateralism and protectionism, and usher in a new era of universally beneficial and inclusive globalization.
China and Africa enjoy a long-standing friendship that has been growing stronger over time. The amicable ties between the two peoples serve as the bedrock for the growth of China-Africa relations, and people-to-people exchanges continuously fuel the vitality of this enduring friendship across generations.
President Xi Jinping pointed out, “The foundation and lifeline of China-Africa relations lie with the people. Therefore, the development of our relations should be more people-oriented.” At the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as FOCAC), President Xi announced that the two sides agreed to designate 2026 as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges (hereinafter referred to as the Year).
To implement the important consensus reached by Chinese and African leaders and the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, the two sides will host a series of people-to-people exchange activities under the theme of Consolidate All-Weather Friendship, Pursue Shared Dream of Modernization, as we celebrate in 2026 the 70th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between China and African countries.
These activities aim to promote exchanges and mutual learning among the Chinese and African civilizations and strengthen people-to-people bonds, amity and cooperation, thus solidifying the public support for China-Africa friendship.
In this process, China will act upon the principles of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith guiding its Africa policy, and tap the potential for further cooperation in various fields, so as to reinvigorate the joint endeavours of China and Africa to advance modernization, and make contributions to building the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era and pursuing the shared dream of modernization.
According to the tentative program, at the beginning of 2026, the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges will commence with a launching ceremony unveiling key activities. Friends from across China and Africa are welcome to attend.
Throughout the year, guided by the principles of people-centered engagement, cross-cultural synergy and shared benefits, China and Africa will carry out wide-ranging activities that involve diverse communities and sectors, focusing on education, culture, tourism, publishing, sports, science and technology, people’s livelihood and green development, pooling the strengths of youth, women, media and think tanks, and mobilizing resources at sub-national and non-governmental levels. The program will include but not limited to the following:
To encourage mutual learning and foster enduring friendships among the younger generation, the two sides will intensify youth exchanges by convening the China-Africa Youth Festival, the China-Africa Youth Culture Forum, the China-Africa Future Leaders’ Dialogue, and the China-Africa Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, establishing the China-Africa Youth Space Alliance, and facilitating visits by young African political party leaders and government officials to China for study trips and multilateral exchanges.
To promote mutual understanding, mutual affinity and mutual appreciation between the two peoples, the two sides will advance exchanges in the fields of culture, tourism, film and television, publishing, sports, etc. through activities such as the China-Africa Exchange Month Featuring Cultural Silk Road, the China-Africa Cultural and Tourism Exchange Conference, the Conference on Dialogue Between Chinese and African Civilizations, the China-Africa Wushu Conference, and the China-Africa Audio-Visual Program Screening. The two sides will also promote internet celebrity interaction, and encourage holding photo exhibitions in each other’s countries and participating in book exhibitions and other cultural and tourism promotion events hosted by the other side.
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To bring more tangible benefits of China-Africa friendship to the people, the two sides will deepen exchanges and cooperation in the areas of health, poverty reduction, public welfare, livelihood, well-being of people with disabilities, etc. by holding such activities as the FOCAC Poverty Reduction and Development Conference, the “100 Medical Teams in 1,000 Villages” program and the Seminar on Poverty Reduction and Development for African Officials, and facilitating the establishment of more sister-city relations.
To enhance sharing of experience in national governance and modernization, the two sides will step up exchange of ideas among think tanks and media, and at the people-to-people level, by organizing events such as the Seminar on Chinese Modernization and African Development, and the China-Africa Friendship Organization Leaders Meeting. China will invite delegations from the African Union’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council and African countries to visit China for research and exchanges.
To translate talent resources into drivers of modernization, the two sides will strengthen exchanges and cooperation in education, vocational training, women’s empowerment, ICT and AI technologies through the China-Africa Innovation Cooperation and Development Forum, the Capability Enhancement Program for African Female Leaders, the African Women Entrepreneurship Empowerment Program, and the African Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, etc.
At the end of the year, the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges will conclude with a ceremony to take stock of the events held throughout the year, showcase the achievements, and issue certificates for exemplary projects. There will also be cultural performances at the ceremony.
Both sides will invite Chinese and African media to cover the activities of the Year, invite the relevant institutions of the two sides to promote the activities and their outcomes, and tap into the potential of new media such as social media and self-media platforms, to encourage greater public engagement and amplify the impact of the Year.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald