Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud in Johannesburg, South Africa, Dec. 4, 2015.
“The strategic partnership and cooperation between Somalia and the People’s Republic of China is an important instrument towards the achievement of our development goals” Said the President.
While identifying with the laudable objectives of FOCAC in cultivating, fostering and deepening political, economic, technological, social and other forms of relations between China and Somalia, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud praised China for the vision behind the establishment of FOCAC as a platform for higher level Africa-China relationship.
In the security sector, Xi noted that China will continue to help Somalia strengthen its national defense and security capability, and provide assistance to the Somali armed forces.
Xi announced a $60 billion aid package for Africa, at the opening of Focac in Johannesburg.
“We welcome China’s support for our determination to transform our countries’ economies, through an industrialisation strategy which is driven by beneficiation and value addition of our natural resources and agricultural products”, said President Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
These measures would change the structure of the economic relationship between China and Africa, away from the unbalanced trade relationship where Africa mainly exported raw materials to China and mainly imported manufactured goods.
China and Africa are always good friends, good partners and good brothers, he added.
The two-day Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) is the second time China has brought together African leaders since the forum was launched in Beijing in 2000.
“China strongly believes Africa belongs to the African people and African problems should be handled by the African people”, he said.
China is doing what the colonialists failed to do in the past: help Africa out of poverty, the president said.
“We have successfully concluded all the major tasks of the summit”.
“China and Africa share a common future… It is an extraordinary meeting and together we have made history”, said Xi through an interpreter.
Accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, Xi concluded his schedule on Friday evening by attending the art performance at the closing ceremony of the Year of China in South Africa.
He said Africa was keen to explore cooperation with China to ensure the long term viability of African mining and extractive industries in a global market.
It’s a good thing China and Africa closely work with each other especially Somalia we have a long history with china trade links going back centuries.