China-Africa summit to expand Belt and Road Initiative with new agreements: Video
China is set to bolster its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partnerships with African nations as the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit kicks off on September 4.
The summit, anticipated to be Beijing’s largest diplomatic event since the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to attract a wave of Chinese investments into Africa.
During a press briefing on September 2, Xu Jianping, Director of China's Regional Opening Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, announced that China will sign several new cooperation agreements with African countries during the FOCAC summit. These agreements will focus on further integrating African nations into the BRI framework, as reported by AFP.
Jianping underscored China's significant contributions to African infrastructure over the past decade. "Over the past 11 years, Chinese enterprises have participated in the construction and renovation of more than 10,000 kilometres (6,210 miles) of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometres (62,130 miles) of highways, nearly a thousand bridges, about a hundred ports, 66,000 kilometres (41,010 miles) of power transmission and transformation lines, and 150,000 kilometres (93,200 miles) of backbone communication networks in various African countries," he detailed.
He highlighted major railway projects that have shaped Africa's transportation network, stating, "In terms of railways, projects such as the Kenya Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, Ethiopia Djibouti Railway, and Nigeria Lagos-Ibadan Railway constructed by Chinese enterprises have effectively helped Africa form a railway backbone network."
China, currently the world's second-largest economy, has maintained its position as Africa's largest trading partner for the 15th consecutive year. In 2023, bilateral trade between China and Africa reached $282.1 billion, with Chinese direct investment in the continent surpassing $40 billion, according to CGTN.
As the summit approaches, dozens of African leaders are arriving in Beijing, seeking to secure essential funding for infrastructure projects in their respective countries.
