1). The Third Ministerial Conference
The Third Ministerial Conference of FOCAC was held on 3 November 2006 in Beijing. The foreign ministers and ministers responsible for international economic cooperation of China and 48 African countries attended the Conference. Representatives from 24 international and regional organizations attended the opening session.
Participants at the Conference listened to and discussed the report presented by Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on the implementation of follow-up actions of the Second Ministerial Conference. Delegates unanimously agreed that the Addis Ababa Action Plan (2004-2006) of FOCAC had been fully implemented and expressed their satisfaction with the achievements made in the follow-up actions. The Conference deliberated on and adopted the Draft Declaration of the Beijing Summit of FOCAC and the draft of the Beijing Action Plan (2007-2009) of FOCAC, and submitted the drafts to the Beijing Summit for review and adoption. The Conference also adopted the Decision on the Host Country of the Fourth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC and agreed to hold the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC in Egypt in 2009.
The Fifth Senior Officials Meeting of the FOCAC in preparation for the Beijing Summit and Third Ministerial Conference of FOCAC was held from 1 to 2 November 2006 in Beijing.
2). The Beijing Summit
The Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was convened from 4 to 5 November 2006 in Beijing. Chinese President Hu Jintao and the heads of state and government and high-ranking representatives of 48 African countries attended the Summit. A series of important activities including the opening ceremony, the roundtable meeting and the reading-out ceremony of the Declaration of the Beijing Summit of FOCAC were held during the Summit. Representatives from 24 international and regional organizations were also present at relevant activities.
President Hu Jintao announced at the Opening Ceremony of the Summit that the Chinese government would take the following eight policy measures to strengthen cooperation with Africa and support its development:
- Upscale the assistance to Africa by doubling the 2006 amount by 2009.
-Provide US$3 billion of concessional loans and US$2 billion of preferential export buyer's credit to Africa in the following three years.
-Set up a China-Africa development fund, the amount of which will reach US$5 billion to encourage and support Chinese companies to invest in Africa.
-Build a conference center for the African Union to support African countries in their efforts to strengthen themselves through unity and support the process of African integration.
-Cancel debt in the form of interest-free government loans that matured at the end of 2005 and owed by the heavily indebted poor countries and the least developed countries in Africa having diplomatic relations with China.
-Further open China's market to Africa by increasing the number of tariff items from 190 to over 440, under which exports to China receiving zero-tariff treatment from the 30 least developed countries in Africa having diplomatic ties with China .
-Establish three to five trade and economic cooperation zones in Africa in the following three years.
-Over the next three years, train 15,000 African professionals; send 100 agricultural experts; set up 10 agricultural centers; build 30 hospitals and provide RMB 300 million of grant for artemisinin (anti-malaria drug) and building 30 malaria prevention and treatment centers; dispatch 300 young volunteers; build 100 rural schools; and increase the number of Chinese government scholarships for African students from the current 2,000 per year to 4,000 per year by 2009.
At the roundtable meeting, Chinese and African leaders, focusing on the theme of "Friendship, Peace, Cooperation, Development", exchanged views and reached broad consensus on the development of Sino-African relationship over the past 50 years, the establishment of new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa under the new circumstances, the strengthening of China-Africa cooperation and major international and regional issues of common interest. The Declaration of the Beijing Summit and the Beijing Action Plan (2007-2009) of the FOCAC were adopted at the Conference, which proclaimed the establishment of a new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa featuring "political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win cooperation and cultural exchanges".
The Second China-Africa Business Conference was held in parallel with the Summit. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and 33 leaders from African countries attended the opening ceremony of the High-level Dialogue between Chinese and African Leaders and Business Representatives and the Second China-Africa Business Conference. Chinese and African entreprises signed 15 agreements with a total value of nearly US$ 1.9 billion. The two sides also announced the establishment of the China-Africa Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
President Hu Jintao and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government held 70 bilateral meetings with African leaders. The two sides exchanged views on the development of bilateral relationship, the Beijing Summit of FOCAC and other issues of common interest.
In addition, the "Exhibition on Six Years of FOCAC", "Exhibition of Select Artworks from Africa" and "Exhibition of Currencies and Stamps of African Countries" as well as the First-Day Issue Ceremony of the commemorative stamp for the "FOCAC Beijing Summit" were held in parallel with the Summit.
On 26 September 2007, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and foreign ministers or representatives from 48 African countries held the first political consultation in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. The ministers reviewed and assessed the implementation of the follow-up actions of the Beijing Summit, exchanged views on promoting the new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa, and discussed major global and regional issues of common interest. A joint communiqué was released after the meeting.
The Sixth Senior Officials Meeting of FOCAC was held in Cairo, Capital of Egypt, from 18 to 19 October 2008. The meeting reviewed the implementation of follow-up actions of the Beijing Summit and work plans for next stage, and made preparations for the Fourth Ministerial Conference.
Following the Summit, the Chinese Government actively carried out the various follow-up actions of the Summit, especially the eight policy measures to strengthen practical cooperation with Africa, and achieved fruitful results. By the end of 2009, China had doubled its assistance to Africa on the 2006 basis; delivered the US$3 billion of concessional loans and US$2 billion of preferential export buyer's credits in full; successfully established the China-Africa Development Fund, which invested more than US$500 million in 27 projects; started construction of the conference center for the African Union and made smooth progress; cancelled 154 debts owed by 33 countries; increased to 478 the number of export items to China receiving zero-tariff treatment from the 30 least developed countries in Africa and applied this policy to all eligible countries; started construction of 6 economic and trade cooperation zones in 5 countries; trained 15,000 people for African countries; sent 104 senior agricultural experts to 33 African countries; started the construction of 10 agricultural technology demonstration centers; built 28 new hospitals; opened 30 malaria prevention and treatment centers and delivered artemisinin (anti-malaria drug as planned); sent 300 Chinese volunteers to work in Africa; built 96 schools; increased the number of Chinese government scholarships for African students to 4,000 per year; opened 23 Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in cooperation with 16 countries; sent 1,200 medical workers to 42 African countries, and provided medical devices worth RMB 50 million; successfully held "African Culture in Focus 2008" in China and "Chinese Culture in Focus 2009" in Africa; established training and exchange centers for women in 5 countries, and delivered 28 batches of material assistance to women organizations of 14 African countries; invited 500 African young people to visit China and held the third China-Africa Youth Festival; established 98 sister provinces/states or twin cities between China and Africa; and added 9 countries to the list of ADS (Approved Destination Status).
