On January 8, 2026 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the launching ceremony of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. In his keynote speech, Wang Yi put forward four initiatives from China to promote cooperation between China and Africa:

First, prioritizing development and acting as  fellow travelers in advancing modernization. Guided by the six features for jointly advancing modernization, the two sides should actively implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and work for mutual integration and promotion of people-to-people exchanges and practical cooperation. China will continue to expand its unilateral openness to Africa, and believes that the full implementation of the zero-tariff measure covering 100 percent tariff lines for products from Africa will significantly boost Africa's exports to China and the development of its industries and technologies, making China's vast market a great opportunity for Africa.

Second, putting the people first and acting as go-getters in serving the people. Both sides should take the aspirations of the Chinese and African peoples for a better life as a goal, focus on fostering a number of long-lasting mechanisms for people-to-people exchanges, create more popular brands, implement various measures of the Partnership Action for People-to-People Exchanges, and carry out a wider variety of people-to-people and cultural exchanges. This will further enrich the substance of China-Africa people-to-people interactions and continuously strengthen the affinity bond between the 2.8 billion people of China and Africa.

Third, upholding mutual learning and exchanges and acting as doers in exchanges on governance. The two sides should effectively utilize such mechanisms as the China-Africa platform for governance experience sharing and the China-Africa knowledge network for development, and continuously deepen the exchanges of experience in party governance, state governance, and modernization development. The Chinese side is ready to enhance interactions with political parties and political organizations across Africa, build a new type of party-to-party relations to help shape a new type of international relations, and inject more fresh spiritual energy into the steady and long-term development of China-Africa cooperation.

Fourth, embracing openness and inclusiveness and acting as good partners with a shared future. Both sides should be guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, focus on implementing the four global initiatives, work together to address global challenges, and make contributions of China and Africa to the progress of human civilization. Both sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. China firmly supports Africa in playing a greater role on the international stage, rectifying historical injustices suffered by Africa, and enhancing Africa's representation and voice in the multilateral governance system.

Wang Yi emphasized that both China and Africa are at a crucial stage of their respective development and revitalization. The two sides should take the launch of the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges as an opportunity to uphold their original aspiration of friendship, solidify the foundation of cooperation, and accelerate the building of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.