On November 24, 2020, Assistant Foreign Minister Deng Li attended the Inauguration of China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center held in Beijing and delivered a speech. Chaired by Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Zhao Yingmin, the ceremony was addressed by Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu, Senegalese Ambassador to China Mamadou Ndiaye (whose country is the co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation on the African side), and Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps and Cameroonian Ambassador to China Martin Mpana, and attended by over 40 envoys and youth delegates from African countries, and over 150 representatives from government departments, international organizations, institutes and enterprises.

Deng Li said in his speech that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The past 20 years have witnessed increasing high-level exchanges, deepening mutual political trust, expanding economic and trade cooperation, and new achievements of collaboration in the fields of education, science, culture, health, non-governmental exchanges and peace and security between China and Africa. Both sides have deepened cooperation on environmental protection, climate change response and green development under the FOCAC's framework, with cooperation and action plans in relevant fields introduced at each session of the forum. At the 2018 Beijing Summit of the FOCAC, President Xi Jinping agreed with African leaders to launch "eight major initiatives", including one on green development. In the past two years, China and Africa jointly carried out a series of cooperative projects on environmental protection, disaster prevention and relief and clean energy, and effectively implemented the outcomes of the summit.

Deng Li said that the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee has made a comprehensive plan of China's future development. China will continue to implement the new development philosophy, promote green development and ecological civilization, and pursue harmony between man and nature. African countries are also actively implementing the programme of action and roadmap in the fields of sustainable development and climate change adaptation. There are enormous potential and broad prospects of cooperation on ecological and environmental protection and green development between China and Africa. China will closely communicate and coordinate with Africa, synergize their policies and contribute their wisdom and solutions to the fight against global climate change. China will continue to provide support and assistance within its capacity to Africa under the framework of the FOCAC, and is willing to discuss with African countries about building a strategic cooperation framework to fight against climate change, in order to actively confront the challenges brought by climate change together.

Deng Li pointed out that the inauguration of China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center is yet another important progress of implementing the outcomes of the Beijing Summit. It will build a new platform for both sides to enhance exchanges and dialogue on environmental policies, promote information exchange of and cooperation on environmental industries and technologies, and conduct joint research on environmental issues. China expects that African envoys and African friends from all walks of life will provide more care and support to the Center, and the Center will capitalize on its advantages as a platform to improve bilateral exchanges and cooperation and inject new energy to the China-Africa community with a shared future.