On November 28, 2021 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Senegalese Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall jointly met the press after the talks in Dakar.

Wang Yi said, now it is at a crucial moment for the global fight against COVID-19 and economic recovery. Senegal echoes the great expectations of the African countries and holds the meeting as scheduled despite the impact of the pandemic, demonstrating the firm determination of China and Africa in overcoming difficulties and seeking development. This is also a vivid example of building a China-Africa community with a shared future. China thanks the Senegalese government and people again for their important contributions to this meeting.

Wang Yi said, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is a crucial platform for collective dialogue between China and Africa and an effective mechanism for practical cooperation. It has been 20 years since the forum came into being. With the joint efforts of both sides, the forum has become the standard-bearer for international development and cooperation, and a fine example of South-South cooperation. Since the inception of the FOCAC, Chinese enterprises have built over 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 1,000 bridges, nearly 100 ports, and over 80 large-scale power facilities in Africa. In addition, they have assisted Africa in building over 130 medical facilities, 45 gymnasiums and more than 170 schools, and training over 160,000 professionals in various fields. Chinese medical teams have provided medical service to an accumulated number of 230 million, and China's network service has covered around 700 million user terminals. As we speak, China-Africa cooperation is yielding fruitful results all across Africa, bringing tangible benefits to all communities and families. China-Africa solidarity and mutual assistance has not only consolidated the political status of African independence, but also improved African capacity for sustainable development, and written a glorious chapter of China-Africa friendship. After the 2018 Beijing Summit and the Seventh Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC, both sides have advanced the eight major initiatives and basically implemented the corresponding financing support despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first ten months of this year, China-Africa trade topped 200 billion U.S. dollars, which is expected to set a new record. China will be Africa's largest trade partner for 13 years in a row. The daily progress of China-Africa cooperation opens up new prospects for China-Africa friendship, creates new opportunities for China-Africa development, and delivers new benefits to Chinese and African people.

Wang Yi said, the people of all countries in Africa have high expectations on the outcomes of the incoming FOCAC, and the world will focus attention on Dakar. President Xi Jinping and President Macky Sall will deliver keynote speeches at the opening ceremony. President Xi Jinping will also review the glorious history of China-Africa exchanges, and announce a host of new major measures for cooperation with Africa. Taking the goal of building the China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, China and Africa will draw a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations in the next three years and beyond.

Wang Yi said, with the concerted efforts of both China and Senegal as well as all members of the FOCAC, I believe that the forum will make a full success. It will make new contributions to the victory in the fight against COVID-19 and economic recovery, set a new milestone in the history of China-Africa relations, and start a new great journey of building the China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.