On August 23, 2024, Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, upon request, introduced China's expectations for the future development of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) at a briefing for Chinese and foreign media on the 2024 FOCAC Summit.

Chen Xiaodong said, thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, over the past 24 years since its establishment, the FOCAC has developed its features of equality, practicality and efficiency. China-Africa cooperation within the framework of the FOCAC has yielded significant results, which are widely recognized by both the Chinese and African peoples and have been highly praised by the international community. The Forum has become a prominent brand for China-Africa cooperation and a banner for promoting the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, forging the collective strength of the Global South, and leading international cooperation with Africa. It has provided important driving forces for building a community with a shared future for mankind. China has the following expectations for the future development of the Forum:

First, embark on a new journey toward jointly building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. This Summit is a meeting that builds on past achievements while opening up a new future, and upholds fundamental principles while breaking new ground. On the basis of taking stock of and summarizing past achievements, the Summit will lay out new designs and formulate new blueprints for the future development of China-Africa relations. The leaders of China and Africa will discuss major cooperation strategies, explore cooperation plans together, and strengthen exchanges on state governance, which will provide important guidance for the development of the Forum in the next stage.

Second, gather new momentum for deepening China-Africa cooperation in various fields. China and Africa will actively implement the outcomes of the Summit, give play to each other's strengths, and ensure that practical cooperation in various fields becomes increasingly substantive, creating a model example of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. China is ready to take this Summit as an opportunity to seek greater synergy with Africa's development strategies and work out a broader path of mutual benefit and common development between China and Africa.

Third, continue writing a new chapter in the mutual understanding, affinity and friendship between the people of China and Africa. The brotherhood between China and Africa is time-honored, time-tested and ever-stronger. The Summit will introduce a series of new cooperation initiatives to deepen mutual understanding, respect and affinity between the people of China and Africa, so that the China-Africa friendship will be passed on from generation to generation and the flower of China-Africa friendship will blossom with renewed brilliance.