Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held bilateral meetings with African counterparts on Tuesday during the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Changsha, Hunan Province.
The African foreign ministers included Kenya’s Musalia Mudavadi, Senegal’s Yassine Fall, Tanzania’s Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Namibia’s Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, Botswana’s Phenyo Butale, and Angola’s Tete Antonio.
In his meeting with Kenya’s Mudavadi, Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, emphasized China’s commitment to implementing agreements reached by the two nations’ leaders. He highlighted the importance of mutual support, trust, and strategic coordination to safeguard the interests of developing countries and uphold international norms. Mudavadi reaffirmed Kenya’s adherence to the one-China principle and expressed eagerness to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.
With Senegal’s Fall, Wang emphasized China’s willingness to share development opportunities to support African modernization. He advocated for multilateralism and fairness in international relations. Fall echoed Senegal’s commitment to the one-China principle and called for enhanced high-level exchanges and Chinese investment to strengthen bilateral ties.
In discussions with Tanzania’s Kombo, Wang praised Tanzania’s effective implementation of FOCAC outcomes and expressed China’s interest in revitalizing the Tanzania-Zambia Railway as a model of China-Africa cooperation. Kombo thanked China for its support, including zero-tariff trade benefits, and reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to the one-China principle and strong bilateral friendship.
Wang’s meeting with Namibia’s Ashipala-Musavyi focused on sustaining mutual trust and aligning development strategies to accelerate Namibia’s industrialization. Ashipala-Musavyi expressed optimism about the ministerial meeting’s outcomes and Namibia’s synergy with China.
Marking 50 years of diplomatic relations with Botswana, Wang, in talks with Butale, supported Botswana’s independent development path and proposed expanded cooperation in trade, energy, manufacturing, and health. Butale reaffirmed Botswana’s commitment to the one-China principle and Belt and Road cooperation.
In his meeting with Angola’s Antonio, Wang emphasized China’s unconditional support for Angola’s development and encouraged increased Chinese investment. Antonio acknowledged the contributions of Chinese enterprises to Angola’s infrastructure and pledged to strengthen cooperation as Angola assumes the African Union’s rotating chair.
The ministerial meeting highlights China’s commitment to enhancing solidarity with African nations and the Global South, fostering mutually beneficial partnerships across development, trade, and infrastructure.
