Xi in South Africa to strengthen bilateral ties, boost China-Africa cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds talks with his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma in Pretoria, South Africa, Dec 2, 2015. [Photo by Pang Xinglei/Xinhua]

The two-day Johannesburg Summit, starting on Friday, is expected to adopt a declaration and action plan outlining measures aimed at consolidating China-Africa relations.

Mike Danish, a lecturer of International Relations at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said that China's establishment of new financing mechanisms such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank was a "clear indication that China wants to assist in the reduction of poverty in Africa."

Through the FOCAC summit, China is expected to send a strong message to the entire world that China and Africa are working together for win-win cooperation and bringing in a new prospect of development for the peoples of both China and Africa, Danish said.

Over the years, Xi said in his signed article, the FOCAC has become a crucial platform for collective dialogue between China and Africa and an effective mechanism for closer practical cooperation. It has greatly boosted the common development of China and Africa and brought real benefits to the Chinese and African people alike.