In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised that China will enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Africa, champion mutual respect, inclusiveness and coexistence of different civilisations on the way to modernisation, and strive together for more fruitful outcomes under the Global Civilisation Initiative.    Civilisations are enriched through exchange and grow through mutual learning. The exchange between Chinese and African civilisations…

A shortage of courtrooms has long been a challenge in Malawi, especially since more judges were hired to help to streamline the country’s judicial process. Yet, while the current judiciary is headquartered in the country’s second-largest city of Blantyre, due to a lack of work space; some sections of the judiciary are located elsewhere, such as the juvenile, commercial and industrial courts.  So, when the decision came to move the court headquarters to the capital city of Lilongwe, the issue…

China is ready to work with Namibia to promote the implementation of the 10 partnership actions proposed at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit in Namibia, and provide support for Namibia to accelerate its modernization, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Namibia’s President Nangolo Mbumba in Namibia’s Swakopmund. China has always been Africa’s…

The year 2024 saw a further deepening of China-Africa relations, with a number of milestones.  The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing elevated China-Africa relations to new heights, unveiling ambitious plans to modernise and strengthen their longstanding partnership.  Economic cooperation continued to thrive in 2024. Although full-year data is still forthcoming, early figures indicate robust performance across various indicators. Trade volume between China and Africa reached $167 billion in the first seven months of…

From January 5 to 11, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit the four African countries of Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad and Nigeria. The visit by Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, is aimed at deepening practical cooperation in various fields, and promoting the sustained and in-depth development of China-Africa relations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. Wang’s visit continues the tradition of a Chinese…

The following are the top 10 world news events in the year of 2024 selected by Xinhua: China’s head-of-state diplomacy opens new chapter In 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended three major diplomatic events at home: the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, and the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. He made four important visits abroad — to Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America, attended a…

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change recently concluded in Baku, Azerbaijan, witnessing two weeks of intense debates among delegates from world countries on how best to save the planet. The conference discussed topics such as climate finance, adaptation measures, and the strategies to support communities hardest hit by climate change.  As expected, the gap in emissions between developed and developing countries was at the heart of the discussions in…

On December 1, 2024, China implemented a new policy granting zero-tariff treatment to 100% of tariff lines on products originating from the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) that have diplomatic relations with China. Among the beneficiaries of this initiative are 33 African nations, marking a significant milestone in Africa-China economic relations. This transformative policy aligns with commitments made at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September. During the summit, China pledged to unilaterally expand market…

The economic clout of developing countries is rising amid tectonic shifts in global affairs. This trend has led to discussions on the sustainable development of the Global South and calls for greater participation by developing countries in global governance. Following the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in September, which set new ground for China-Africa cooperation, the 2024 China International Import Expo (CIIE) – another major event – held from 5 to 10 November, continued to…

Madagascar’s lamb, Ethiopia’s coffee, South Sudan’s shea butter … the exhibits at the Food and Agricultural Products zone of the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) attracted a lot of attention.  Held annually in Shanghai, the CIIE is regarded as an important platform for Africa to enter the vast Chinese market. African participation at this year’s expo is especially strong after China decided to offer all least developed countries with diplomatic relations with China, including 33 countries in Africa, zero-tariff…