China and Africa will stand in solidarity to fight COVID-19, promote green development and uphold equity and justice, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced Monday at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Cooperation of the two sides.
At the conference, hosted by Senegal, the Asian giant’s leader stressed that he would work with African countries on some nine projects in priority areas, such as expanding trade and investment, and strengthening cooperation in the digital economy, among others.
In addition, Xi called for promoting green and low-carbon development, actively boosting renewable energy and unceasingly enhancing capacity for a sustainable environment.
He announced that China will provide Africa with 1,000,000,000,000 doses of additional COVID-19 vaccines, of which 600,000,000 are donations and 400,000,000 will be offered by co-production between enterprises from the Asian country and African nations.
It stressed that it will help Africa vaccinate 60 percent of its population by 2022; it will also undertake ten medical and health care projects, and send 1,500 medical workers and public health experts.
Senegal’s Foreign Minister, Aissata Tall Sall, congratulated the Communist Party of China on the 100th anniversary of its founding, as well as the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the Asian country’s rightful seat at the United Nations; and assured that it firmly defends the principle of “one China.”
The official stressed that Senegal wishes to take advantage of its co-chairmanship of FOCAC, and its rotating chairmanship of the African Union, to boost Africa-China cooperation, jointly safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.
“I am convinced that, with united efforts, this conference will be a success, and bring together the powerful force of the 2,700,000,000 Chinese and Africans for the construction of the China-Africa shared future community,” Xi said.
