China and Africa to deepen economic cooperation during Beijing Summit

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) will hold a high-level dialogue between Chinese and African leaders and business representatives during the upcoming Conference of Entrepreneurs.

The conference will support and synchronize with the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), running from Sept. 3 to 4, Jiang Zengwei, Chairman of the CCPIT, announced at a press conference on August 31 in Beijing.

Jiang made his remark while briefing media ahead of the conference, to be attended by 2,088 delegates comprising State leaders and business representatives.

"This is the largest diplomatic event in China this year, being attended by the largest number of foreign leaders," he said, adding that the Conference of Entrepreneurs was an "important and supporting event of the summit."

Since its inception in 2003, the Conference of Entrepreneurs has been held every three years, making this year's event the sixth such event.

"Frequent high-level exchanges, fruitful results in China-Africa cooperation, stronger coordination in regional and international affairs and closer people to people bond have made China and Africa the community with the shared future and interests," Jiang said.

The conference will focus on ways to promote industrialization, deepen trade coordination and push forward infrastructure construction between the two sides, with China transferring industrial capacities to Africa to upgrade indigenous industries at the same time creating job opportunities for local communities in line with international norms and on equal basis. It will also discuss the way to facilitate African exports to the Chinese market.

China has been the largest trade partner for Africa nine consecutive years and it has continued to encourage its entrepreneurs to invest in helping African countries upgrade their industries and improve economic structures.