On the morning of September 3, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with President of Chad Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who is in China for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Chad relationship to a strategic partnership.
Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Chad have actively carried out mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and FOCAC, and achieved fruitful results. China has been Chad's largest trading partner and investment partner for many years in a row, and bilateral practical cooperation has improved the well-being of the two peoples. China is ready to work with Chad to uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, strengthen the synergy of development strategies, and push for new progress in China-Chad relations.
Xi Jinping stressed that the Chinese side highly appreciates Chad's firm support on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns and will, as always, support Chad in pursuing an independent development path and safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests. The two sides should strengthen exchanges, expand consensus on ideas, consolidate political mutual trust and firmly support each other. Both sides should adhere to mutual benefit and win-win results and deepen practical cooperation. Chad is welcome to fully leverage the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit, deepen bilateral economic and trade cooperation, enhance independent development capacity and achieve common development. China is ready to work with Chad to implement the Global Security Initiative, safeguard national security and stability, and work together as a staunch force for peace.
Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno thanked the Chinese side for inviting and warmly receiving him to attend the FOCAC Beijing Summit in China, which fully reflects the friendship between Chad and China. The Chad-China cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win results has yielded fruitful results. He thanked China for providing valuable assistance to Chad's economic and social development. Chad is firmly committed to further deepening friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation with China. Under the wise leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has witnessed rapid development and increasingly rising international standing. Chad admires China's development achievements, appreciates a series of major ideas and initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping, and is happy to see China's continued development and growth. He believes that China's sustained development will bring more opportunities for the development of Chad, Africa and the world, which is crucial to leading the transformations of the world unseen in a century. Noting that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said that Chad will continue to firmly abide by the one-China principle.
During the summit, China and Chad will sign a number of bilateral cooperation documents covering such areas as the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, cooperation on human resources development, peanut and sesame export to China, and news and media.
Wang Yi was present at the meeting.
