On April 1, 2008, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun met in the Chinese Foreign Ministry with Egyptian senior coordinators for Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) affairs.

Zhai said the FOCAC is an important platform for group dialogue as well as an effective mechanism for pragmatic cooperation between China and African friendly nations. China and Egypt, as two host nations of the FOCAC meetings, attach great importance to the forum affairs and have conducted sound cooperation. Zhai expressed belief that with the close cooperation, both sides will make good preparations for the next FOCAC senior officials' meeting and the ministerial meeting to be held in Egypt this year and the next respectively and make positive contributions to sustainable development of the forum.

The Egyptian side spoke highly of China's efforts in implementing the follow-up actions of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, noting that among all the forums between Africa and the outside world, the FOCAC is a unique one, which embodies the spirit of being trustworthy, serious, sincere and pragmatic. The African side thanked for China's sincere help with its development, which is in the interest of both sides. Egypt will commit itself to the success of the FOCAC and of a new type of China-Africa strategic partnership and will do its utmost to ensure the success of the next senior officials' meeting and ministerial meeting, the Egyptian side added.