Xi meets DRC president

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping met with Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), here on Monday.

Tshisekedi is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Recalling that China and the DRC elevated their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in May 2023, Xi said the two sides have been advancing practical cooperation in various fields since the upgrade of bilateral ties and have become a model for developing countries to jointly promote modernization.

China is willing to consolidate political mutual trust and seek common development with the DRC, deepen bilateral cooperation in agriculture, mineral processing and vocational training, and continue to help the DRC turn resource advantages into growth drivers, he said.

Xi stressed that at the upcoming FOCAC summit, China and Africa will announce a new positioning of China-Africa relations and a series of major measures for jointly advancing modernization, thereby drawing a new blueprint for China-Africa relations.

Tshisekedi said the DRC regards China as the most prioritized cooperation partner and keeps deepening bilateral friendship and practical cooperation in various fields.

The FOCAC has provided important opportunities for African countries to realize the dream of development, he said, adding that he believes the summit will be a complete success and bring more tangible results to African people.

During the summit, China and the DRC will sign bilateral cooperation documents on jointly developing economic partnership, human resource development, customs capacity building, and journalism.