In a striking act of internationalism and solidarity, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged that the People's Republic would deliver one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Africa, 600 million of them as a donation.
This came during his address to the opening of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Dakar, Senegal on November 29.
Xi said that it was to help "reach the target set by the African Union of vaccinating 60 percent of the African population against COVID-19 by 2022".
Xi and the Chinese government are also celebrating the ties between China and Africa that are based on "unbreakable fraternity in the struggle against imperialism and colonialism".
Notably:
China will send 500 agricultural experts to Africa, work closely with African countries to implement nine major projects on healthcare, poverty alleviation, trade, investment, digital innovation, green development, capacity building, cultural exchanges and security...
Since the founding of FOCAC, Chinese companies have utilized various funds to help African countries build and upgrade more than 10,000 km of railways, nearly 100,000 km of highways, nearly 1,000 bridges and 100 ports, and 66,000 km of power transmission and distribution network, according to a white paper titled "China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals" released on Friday.
That white paper starts with:
China is the largest developing country in the world, and Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries. Shared past experiences and similar aims and goals have brought China and Africa close together. China and Africa will always be a community of shared future. Developing solidarity and cooperation with African countries has been the cornerstone of China's foreign policy, as well as a firm and longstanding strategy. In the fight for national liberation and independence, China and African countries supported each other and expanded mutual political trust in the process. In pursuing economic development and national rejuvenation, both sides have been helping the other and increasing the scope of cooperation. On major international and regional issues, they have coordinated their positions and jointly safeguarded international equality and justice.
It can be read in full at: China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals - Chinadaily.com.cn
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