The theme of the Conference was set as deepening the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership for sustainable development. The Conference adopted the Declaration of Sharm El Sheikh and the Sharm El Sheikh Action Plan (2010-2012) of FOCAC, mapping out the plan for China-Africa cooperation in political, economic, social, people-to-people and cultural areas over the following three years. The Conference also agreed to hold the Eighth Senior Officials Meeting of FOCAC in 2011 in China and the Fifth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC in 2012 in China.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Conference, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a speech entitled "Building New China-Africa Strategic Partnership", and announced the following eight new policy measures on China-Africa cooperation:
        - Establish a China-Africa partnership in addressing climate change; hold senior official consultation with African countries from time to time, and enhance cooperation on satellite weather monitoring, development and utilization of new energy sources, prevention and control of desertification and urban environmental protection; build 100 clean energy projects for Africa covering solar power, bio-gas and small hydro-power. 

        -Enhance cooperation with Africa in science and technology; propose to launch a China-Africa science and technology partnership; carry out 100 joint demonstration projects on scientific and technological research; receive 100 African postdoctoral fellows to conduct scientific research in China and assist them in going back and serving their home countries. 

        -Help Africa build up financing capacity; provide US$10 billion in concessional loans to African countries, and support Chinese financial institutions in setting up a 1 billion U.S. dollar special loan for small and medium-sized African businesses; for the heavily indebted poor countries and least developed countries in Africa having diplomatic relations with China, cancel their debts associated with interest-free government loans due to mature by the end of 2009. 

        -Further open up China's market to African products; phase in zero-tariff treatment to 95 percent of the products from the least developed African countries having diplomatic relations with China, starting with 60 percent of the products by the end of 2010. 
        -Further enhance cooperation with Africa in agriculture; increase the number of agricultural technology demonstration centers built by China in Africa to 20; send 50 agricultural technology teams to Africa and train 2,000 agricultural technology personnel for Africa, in order to help strengthen Africa's ability to ensure food security. 

        -Deepen cooperation in medical care and health; provide medical equipments and anti-malaria materials worth RMB 500 million Yuan to the 30 hospitals and 30 malaria prevention and treatment centers built by China and train 3,000 doctors and nurses for Africa. 

        -Enhance cooperation in human resources development and education; build 50 China-Africa friendship schools and train 1,500 school principals and teachers for African countries; increase the number of Chinese government scholarships to Africa to 5,500 by 2012; train a total of 20,000 professionals of various fields for Africa over the next three years. 

        -Expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges; propose to launch a China-Africa joint research and exchange program, to enable scholars and think tanks to have more exchanges and cooperation, share development experience, and provide intellectual support for formulating better cooperation policies by the two sides.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held bilateral meetings with 13 African leaders on the sidelines of the Conference. The two sides exchanged views on bilateral relationship, FOCAC and other issues of common interest.

The Third China-Africa Business Conference was held in parallel with the Conference. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the Conference. More than 800 Chinese and African entrepreneurs and officials attended the Conference, and signed agreements worth US$ 2.85 billion. The leaders from China and Africa also visited "Photo Exhibition of the Follow-up Achievements of FOCAC Beijing Summit".

The Seventh Senior Officials Meeting of the FOCAC in preparation for the Fourth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC was held on 6 November 2009 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.   

Following the Fourth Ministerial Conference, China actively carried out the follow-up actions of the Conference; initiated China-Africa Science and Technology Partnership Plan and China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Plan; signed framework agreements on concessional loans with some African countries, and signed exchange of letters with majority of the least developed countries in Africa on increasing the tariff items under which exports receiving zero-tariff treatment; started work concerning debt cancellation and special loans for small and medium-sized enterprises; signed exchange of letters and agreements with some African countries on sending agricultural technology teams, providing medical equipments and anti-malaria medicines; started construction of agricultural technology demonstration centers and 50 China-Africa friendship schools, 100 clean energy projects and small-sized well digging projects for water supply etc.; and made smooth progress in providing human resources training for Africa. In addition, China kicked off "African Culture in Focus 2010" activities; officially launched the 20+20 Cooperation Plan for Chinese and African Institutions of Higher Education and held China-Africa Modern Agriculture Cooperation Forum in Beijing. The first and second FOCAC Legal Forum were successfully held in Cairo and Beijing respectively.

The second political consultation between Chinese and African Foreign Ministers was successfully held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York on 23 September, 2010.

Source: www.focac.org