On July 17, 2016, President Xi Jinping sent a message to the 27th African Union (AU) Summit held in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, warmly congratulating African countries and peoples on the successful convening of the summit.

Xi Jinping pointed out that as Africa’s banner of unity and self-reliance, the AU plays an important role in promoting Africa’s unity and self-reliance as well as the integration process. He sincerely wishes that the AU can lead African countries in a united manner to constantly make greater achievements in the causes of peace and development.

Xi Jinping stressed that last December, the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) yielded important results, initiating a new era of China-Africa win-win cooperation and common development. Chinese and African leaders together discussed major cooperation plans and jointly drafted a new blueprint for bilateral cooperation and development. China attaches great importance to the development of China-Africa relations and will continue to uphold the African policy featuring sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith as well as the correct viewpoint of righteousness and benefit, comprehensively promote the implementation of ten major China-Africa cooperation plans and constantly elevate the development of China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to new heights, so as to better benefit both peoples.