China’s most important diplomatic event this year, the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which was successfully held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, has ended with President Xi Jinping pledging more than $50 billion in funding to the African continent, and announced elevating ties with all member nations.
The summit was also the largest-scale event hosted by China and attended by the largest number of foreign leaders in recent years. It is yet another friendly gathering of the big China-Africa family in Beijing after six years, to celebrate friendship and chart the course for the future, which is of great significance and influence.
Under the theme: “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Building a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future”, the Summit took stock of the journey of China-Africa friendship, commended the progress made in implementing the outcomes of FOCAC and reached a clear political consensus on strengthening cooperation across the board.
Documents adopted
Two important documents were adopted unanimously, namely the Beijing Declaration on Jointly Building an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027). All parties agree that the Summit is a full success, with main outcomes in the following four aspects.
Leaders from all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China, including President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as representatives of more than 30 international and African regional organisations, also attended.
Strong bilateral ties
The new Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Tong Defa, briefed the Ghanaian media about the summit and lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s participation in the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), as well as the growing strong bilateral ties between the two nations.
During the visit to China, President Akufo-Addo had a busy schedule, which yielded fruitful results. On September 4, President Akufo-Addo attended the welcoming banquet hosted by President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Great Hall of the People, and on September 5, President Akufo-Addo met with President Xi Jinping, during which the two leaders jointly announced the elevation of China-Ghana relations to a strategic partnership, the most important political outcome of the visit.
Ambassador Tong reiterated that Ghana is the second sub-Saharan African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 64 years ago, the friendship between the two countries has remained strong and enduring, regardless of changes in the international landscape.
Deep friendship
China was ready to carry forward the deep friendship forged by the older generation of the leaders of the two countries with Ghana, to constantly enhance political mutual trust, promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields and be good friends who trust each other, good partners for common development and good brothers with close cooperation.
China is ready to strengthen the synergy of development strategies with Ghana and continue assisting to the best of its ability to Ghana in developing the economy and improving people's livelihood and to expand cooperation with Ghana in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, energy, mineral resources and infrastructure, and hopes that Ghana will continue to offer relevant support and convenience to Chinese enterprises and citizens.
China supports Ghana in its work as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 term and was ready to enhance strategic coordination with Ghana on international and regional issues.
African Countries
Strengthening unity and cooperation with African countries is the constant priority of China's diplomacy. No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will continue to observe the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith that guide our policy toward Africa, and continue to pursue the greater good and shared interests in our cooperation with Africa.
“We will strengthen mutual support and friendly cooperation, jointly promote modernisation and jointly build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. It is against this background that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was born in 2000.
Over the past 24 years, China-Africa high-level exchanges have grown increasingly closer. Our practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results. Trade volume has increased from $10.5 billion in 2000 to $282.1 billion in 2023, a nearly 26-fold increase. China's stock of investment in Africa has grown from less than $500 million in 2000 to over $40 billion today.
Over the years, we have jointly built and upgraded nearly 100,000 kilometres of roads, more than 10,000 kilometres of railways, nearly 1,000 bridges and nearly 100 ports. China and Africa have experienced vibrant exchanges in various fields including tourism, culture, youth and media. The popular support for friendship between the two sides has grown stronger.
Conclusion
Ghana highly cherishes its friendship with China, firmly pursues the One-China policy and supports China's stance on human rights among others. China is the largest developing country and Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries in a world undergoing major changes unseen in a century, China and Africa need to stay united more than ever; declaring that the FOCAC Summit paints a bright future for China-Africa cooperation.
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