Addis Ababa, March 7, 2024 (FBC) – China will continue to support Africa in its self-driven development and faster modernization, and hopes that all sides will pay more attention to, and increase input for Africa’s development, as China has done, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday.
China and Africa are “brothers treating each other with sincerity and sharing a common future”, Wang said at a news conference in Beijing on the sidelines of the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
Noting that African countries are going through “a new round of awakening”, Wang said development models imposed externally have failed to bring prosperity and stability to them, and they need to find a development path that suit their own national conditions.
“China will continue to stand firmly with our African brothers during this process,” he said.
Chinese and African leaders will meet in Beijing for the next meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation this autumn, Wang said, adding that he hopes both sides will enhance their friendship, and deepen unity and collaboration through the summit.
The Global South is no longer the “silent majority”, but a key force for reforming the international order, and China will always act as a crucial force for development and prosperity of the Global South, Foreign Minister Wang Yi added.
The Global South takes up over 40 percent of the world economy, changing the global economic landscape in a profound way, Wang said at a news conference.
He stressed that independence is the distinct quality of the Global South and seeking strength through unity is its tradition.
This year will be a year of harvest of Global South cooperation, and a new starting point for unity among Asian, African and Latin American countries, he said.
China looks forward to continuing to promote unity and cooperation among developing countries to augment the strength of the south and to jointly create a shining “South moment” in global governance, Wang said.