On the morning of September 4, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema, 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.
Xi Jinping pointed out that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Zambia. The China-Zambia friendship, personally forged by the elder generation of leaders of the two countries, has stood the test of time, remaining steadfast in its original aspiration while continuously rejuvenating with vitality. Last year, the two heads of state jointly announced the elevation of China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Over the past year, the two countries have continuously enhanced mutual trust and yielded fruitful results in mutually beneficial cooperation, with a rich array of activities in the Year of Business Cooperation and the Year of Culture and Tourism. The two sides should take the summit as an opportunity to jointly advance their respective modernization, making a good start and writing a new chapter for the next 60 years of friendly relations between China and Zambia.
Xi Jinping stressed that the two sides should continue to maintain close exchanges at all levels, enhance exchanges and mutual learning, deepen political mutual trust, firmly support each other, expand practical cooperation and strengthen international coordination. China is ready to share development opportunities with Zambia and encourage more enterprises to actively participate in cooperation with Zambia in new energy, water resources development, electricity and other fields, thus contributing to the industrialization and modernization of Zambia and Africa. Zambia played an important role in the establishment of the FOCAC in 2000. China is ready to work with Zambia and other African countries to ensure the full success of the summit and inject new impetus into China-Zambia and China-Africa relations.
Hakainde Hichilema said that he received warm and friendly reception everywhere he went during his visit to China and gained a lot of useful experience. The African side admires the great achievements China has made in its development and congratulates on the successful convening of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Africa hopes to learn from China's successful experience and bring more benefits to the African people. The FOCAC Beijing Summit is timely. Since his visit to China last year, the cooperation between the two countries has made many significant advancements. He was pleased to have just witnessed, together with President Xi Jinping, the reactivation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway, continuing the friendship forged by the elder generation of leaders of the two countries and creating a new channel for connectivity between Africa and China. Zambia firmly abides by the one-China principle and is ready to comprehensively deepen cooperation with China and continuously upgrade the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. Zambia welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in the country. China is committed to promoting peace talks and has played a crucial and constructive role in promoting global peace and stability. Zambia appreciates China's outstanding leadership in international affairs and is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination with China.
During the summit, China and Zambia signed a number of bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as soybean export to China, medical and health care, and development cooperation.
Wang Yi was present at the above events.
