Distance is No Barrier to Friendship; Miles Apart, We Remain Neighbors" — 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit

On September 4, 2024, the ancient city of Beijing witnessed another significant moment in the history of China-Africa friendship.

On the evening of September 4, President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to welcome African and international dignitaries attending the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit.

This summit marks the fourth time the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has been held in a summit format, following the 2006 Beijing Summit, the 2015 Johannesburg Summit, and the 2018 Beijing Summit. It is also the largest-scale diplomatic event hosted by China in recent years, with the highest number of foreign leaders in attendance.

On the evening of September 4, President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to welcome African and international dignitaries attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit. Before the banquet, President Xi and First Lady Peng took a group photo with the distinguished guests.

On the evening of September 4, President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to welcome the African and international dignitaries attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit. Along the route to the banquet hall, children warmly welcomed the international guests with enthusiastic gestures.

Boundless friendship bridges distances, and distant lands become neighbors through deep bonds and shared hopes for a bright future.

As the mural gradually opened, lively and cheerful children, holding flags of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation members, sang passionately on the white marble steps behind the mural. Along the route to the banquet hall, children in festive attire sang and danced, warmly welcoming the distinguished guests from afar.

With joyous music accompanying the journey, President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan, together with the guests, entered the banquet hall to the stirring symphony "The Beautiful Landscape."

In his toast, President Xi Jinping reflected on the past, present, and future of the China-Africa community of shared destiny, emphasizing its deep roots in traditional friendship, its embodiment in cooperation and mutual benefit, and its growth through adapting to the times.

On the evening of September 4, President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to welcome African and international dignitaries attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit. During the event, President Xi delivered a speech.

On the evening of September 4, President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to welcome African and international dignitaries attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit. Following the banquet, President Xi and the First Lady enjoyed a cultural performance with the guests.

The stage showcased the vitality and enthusiasm of the China-Africa people:

- A Vibrant Performance: The performance began with lively drumbeats as dancers in traditional African and Chinese attire took the stage. The event featured a fusion of African drumming and Shaanxi's Anse waist drum dance, creating an energetic and celebratory atmosphere.

- A Celebration of Friendship: Dance has long been a way to communicate emotions and celebrate friendships. More than 50 years ago, when New China resumed its legal seat at the United Nations, many African representatives danced and cheered. Since 2013, President Xi has visited Africa five times, with each visit marked by local dances and songs expressing warm welcomes. Over the past 11 years, many "Belt and Road" projects have been celebrated with songs and dances, reflecting hopes for a better future.

- A Harmonious Cultural Exchange: The performance included a mix of African folk songs such as "My Friend" and "Hello, Sir" from Kenya, alongside Chinese folk songs like "Mountain Songs Are Like Spring River Water." Traditional Chinese opera and martial arts featured African performers dressed as Shaolin monks, demonstrating Tai Chi and Wing Chun in a friendly exchange.

The event highlighted the deep cultural and historical connections between China and Africa. Africa, the cradle of human civilization, and China, with its continuous civilization spanning over 5,000 years, share a rich history of equal exchange and mutual respect. Today, cultural exchanges are vibrant, with Chinese dramas like "The Long River of Mountains and Seas" popular in Comoros and "Rwandan Youth Teams" gaining traction in China. This ongoing cultural, educational, and media exchange continually infuses new vitality into the China-Africa friendship.

On the evening of September 4, President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to welcome African and international dignitaries attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit. Here, President Xi and Peng Liyuan are seen walking into the banquet hall with the guests.

This is the shared singing of walking hand in hand and building the future together—

"Living on the same planet, gazing at the same sky. Distance and proximity are all family; you and I share a common destiny..." Children from China and Africa, holding hands, took the stage, and their heavenly voices touched hearts.

At the same time, the main screen on stage displayed 54 collaborative projects that highlight China-Africa friendship: China’s Qinghai-Congo Friendship Primary School, Madagascar’s hybrid rice, São Tomé and Príncipe’s agricultural poverty alleviation demonstration village, the African Union headquarters building...

As President Xi Jinping mentioned in his toast, "24 years ago, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was born in the dawn of the new century. Relying on this important platform, we have built roads, railways, schools, hospitals, industrial parks, and economic zones, changing countless lives and destinies."

Building a community with a shared future is a common dream for humanity, and modernization is the essential path to bridging dreams with reality.

On the 5th, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit will be grandly held with the theme of "Hand in Hand Advancing Modernization, Building a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future."

President Xi Jinping's speech instills confidence and strength: "I believe that as long as the more than 2.8 billion people of China and Africa work together with a shared vision, we will undoubtedly achieve brilliance on the path to modernization, lead the development of modernization in the Global South, and make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity."

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