Samia to officiate key China-Africa forum in Beijing
DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to join other African heads of state and government leaders at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) scheduled for September 4-6, 2024, in Beijing, China. President Samia has been honored with the role of officiating this year’s forum.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Kombo, made the announcement on Saturday (August 31, 2024) during a press conference in Dar es Salaam.
The Minister explained that President Samia’s trip to Beijing is also a response to an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
According to the Minister, President Samia will have the honor of opening the FOCAC forum, representing the East African region.
The summit, themed “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” aims to create new opportunities for solidarity and cooperation, accelerating the shared development of both sides.
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The summit is anticipated to yield fruitful results, further deepening Sino-African relations and strengthening the strategic partnership between Africa and China.
Like previous summits, the Beijing event is expected to provide an opportunity to enhance cooperation in areas such as education, infrastructure development, healthcare, and technology.
With the African Development Bank estimating that Africa’s infrastructure funding needs range between $130 billion and $170 billion annually, there is hope that the upcoming FOCAC summit will address these challenges effectively.
