On July 29, 2016, the Coordinators' Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) convened in Beijing. President Xi Jinping sent a letter of congratulation to the meeting. State Councilor Yang Jiechi attended the opening ceremony and read out President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter.
Xi Jinping expressed warm congratulations to the convening of the meeting in his congratulatory letter, and pointed out that the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit has opened a new era of win-win cooperation and common development between China and Africa, exerting milestone significance in the development of China-Africa relations. The Coordinators' Meeting this time is not only an important action by China and Africa to implement the consensus of Chinese and African leaders and the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit, but also a major measure to assist the development of China-Africa cooperation. Paying high attention to its relations with Africa, China will continue to adhere to the principles towards Africa featuring sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith as well as the correct viewpoint of righteousness and benefit. China will take solid steps to implement the outcomes of the summit, and constantly enrich and develop China-Africa comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
Yang Jiechi said in the speech that this year marks the beginning year of the implementation of the summit outcomes, and the outcome implementation has achieved great progress. It is believed that this meeting will give a strong boost to both China and Africa in implementing the summit outcomes, and make people of both sides and the world at large see the broad prospect of China-Africa cooperation and their development. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides. Under the new situation, China and Africa, with highly converged development strategies, share mutual demand and advantages in cooperation. China is willing to join efforts with Africa to be good brothers standing together regardless of the situation, good partners sharing common development, good friends with one heart and one mind, guardians of peace and stability, and protectors of common interests, so as to focus on advancing the comprehensive development of China-Africa relations.
A total of over 300 people, including over 100 ministerial officials of 53 FOCAC members, representatives from more than 30 member units of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the FOCAC and African diplomatic envoys to China, attended the meeting.