On the evening of September 4th, President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan held a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, welcoming African and international dignitaries who came to China to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation.
Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting.
In September, Beijing has a crisp autumn breeze. In the magnificent Great Hall of the People, the national flags of China, the member states of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, and the African Union complement each other.
51 African heads of state and government, their spouses, 2 presidential representatives, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and the Secretary General of the United Nations, who attended the forum summit, arrived at the Great Hall of the People one after another. Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan warmly welcomed them, shook hands and greeted each other separately, and took a group photo as a souvenir.
The lively and lovely children sang beautiful songs, played cheerful African drums, sang and danced, warmly welcoming the international guests who came from afar.
In the melodious welcome song, Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan walked into the banquet hall together with the distinguished guests.
Xi Jinping delivered a speech, warmly welcoming all the guests on behalf of the Chinese government and people.
The community of shared future between China and Africa is rooted in traditional friendship, manifested in win-win cooperation, and stronger than walking with the times. China and African countries have worked side by side in the struggle against imperialism, colonialism and hegemonism, worked hand in hand on the road of development, revitalization and dream chasing modernization, stood by and helped each other in the fight against the COVID-19, and worked together on major international and regional issues. No matter how the international situation changes, the friendship between China and Africa will continue to be inherited and remain strong over time.
Both in the past and present, China and Africa have been pioneers in building a community with a shared future, and will surely join hands to walk at the forefront of the modernization process in the future. I believe that as long as the more than 2.8 billion people of China and Africa work together in the same direction, they will surely create brilliance on the path of modernization, lead the vigorous development of modernization in the global South, and make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
On behalf of African leaders, President Faye of Senegal, the co chair of the Forum, thanked the friendly Chinese people for their hospitality and thoughtful arrangements, and said that Africa China friendship has a deep foundation and a long history. The two sides share similar ideas, treat each other equally, respect each other, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and work together in solidarity. They all advocate building a more equal, orderly, inclusive world. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has not only achieved rapid development on its own, but also made important contributions to promoting world peace and growth. The African side highly appreciates President Xi Jinping's series of important initiatives and significant contributions to promoting China Africa cooperation, including the establishment of forum mechanisms. It is willing to strengthen unity and cooperation with China, deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Africa and China, and better safeguard common interests.
After the banquet, Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan watched the cultural performance "Hand in Hand, Build the Future Together" with the distinguished guests. The performance showcased the colorful civilization and beauty of China and Africa, as well as the mutual understanding and matchmaking between the Chinese and African people, and won rounds of warm applause. Xi Jinping delivered a speech, warmly welcoming all the guests on behalf of the Chinese government and people.
Wang Yi, Yin Li, Li Shulei, He Lifeng, Wang Xiaohong and others attended the above-mentioned event.