On February 6, 2019, the Dialogue on the Implementation of China-Africa Peace and Security Initiative was held in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. The Dialogue was jointly hosted by the co-chairs of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) China and Senegal as well as the African Union (AU) Commission. Chairman of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the FOCAC and Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad Mame Baba Cissé of Senegal and AU Commissioner for Political Affairs Minata Samate Cessouma attended the Dialogue and delivered keynote speeches. 23 African Foreign Ministers and representatives from member states of the AU Peace and Security Council and the Group of Five for the Sahel (the G5 Sahel) also attended and addressed the meeting.
Chen Xiaodong expressed that at the successful FOCAC Beijing Summit last September, China and Africa agreed to jointly build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. At the Summit, President Xi Jinping announced a host of new measures to strengthen China-Africa peace and security cooperation and reached important consensus with African leaders on launching the peace and security initiative. This year is the first year for implementing the Beijing Summit outcomes. Not long ago, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited several African countries and the AU Headquarters, during which he reached new and important common understanding with African leaders on further deepening China-Africa cooperation in peace and security. The Chinese side hopes that the Dialogue will create synergy in thinking and action between the two sides, put forward suggestions on how to implement the peace and security initiative, and build momentum for China-Africa peace and security cooperation.
Chen Xiaodong pointed out that although the situation has been improving in recent years, risks and challenges facing Africa's peace and security cannot be overlooked. Over the years, China has fulfilled its responsibilities as a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. Guided by the principles enunciated by President Xi Jinping for China-Africa relations, namely, sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and pursuing the greater good and shared interests, China has played a positive role in Africa's peace and security affairs. Throughout the process, China has been committed to four principles: playing a fair, impartial and constructive role, helping Africa build up its own peacekeeping capacity, addressing the root causes as well as the symptoms, and pursuing cooperation for win-win results. No matter how the regional and international landscape evolves, or whatever noises individual countries may make, China's resolve to follow through on the new peace and security cooperation measures announced by President Xi Jinping at the FOCAC Beijing Summit and relevant consensus reached by Chinese and African leaders remains unchanged. China's efforts to safeguard peace and stability in Africa remain unchanged. And China's actions to participate in the peace and security affairs in Africa remain unchanged.
Chen Xiaodong said that China and Africa enjoy ever greater common language, common aspirations and common interests as new opportunities and challenges emerge under new circumstances. There are new and precious opportunities for China and Africa to boost cooperation on peace and security. The Chinese side will work with the African side to explore new dimensions for dialogue on peace and security policy, and establish a China-Africa peace and security forum. We need to take new actions to build capacity on peace and security, promote financial support from the UN on the AU peacekeeping operations, and provide military assistance for the G5 Sahel. We need to explore new approaches to facilitate the resolution of hotspot issues, and promote the political resolution of relevant hotspot issues. We need to implement the new measures of the peace and security initiative, formulate a plan for the utilization of the China-Africa Peace and Security Fund, and boost China-Africa peace and security cooperation for constant and fresh progress.
In their speech, the African representatives highly praised the historical significance of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, especially the new measures to strengthen China-Africa peace and security cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping, spoke highly of China's long-time efforts in safeguarding peace and stability in Africa. The Chinese side has always kept its word with results-oriented actions. The timely convening of the Dialogue is another vivid example of the Chinese side's accelerated implementation of peace and security results of the FOCAC Beijing Summit. The African side welcomes the Chinese side's main ideas of launching the peace and security initiative, and believes that relevant measures conform to Africa's current situation, closely meet the African side's actual needs and will surely and vigorously promote the capacity building of peace and security in Africa.
The African side expressed that in the next stage, Africa hopes to enhance dialogue and coordination with the Chinese side in the UN Security Council and expects that the Chinese side will increase support for conflict prevention in Africa, so as to help Africa implement the initiative of "Silence the Guns in Africa" and the peace and security framework in Africa. Peace and development issues are inseparable. The African side is willing to work with the Chinese side to further deepen development and cooperation, actively implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit in various fields, and enhance the docking between the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative and the AU Agenda 2063. The African side is willing to join hands with the Chinese side to safeguard multilateralism, consolidate the multilateral system, strengthen communication and coordination in major international affairs such as the reform of the UN Security Council, and jointly safeguard the interests of China, Africa, and developing countries.
Both sides spoke positively of the results of the Dialogue and believed that the Dialogue is a pioneering step in strengthening peace and security cooperation between China and Africa. It deepened the communication and dialogue between the two sides on peace and security situation in Africa, strengthened the docking of peace and security policy, and promoted the alignment of peace and security initiative, achieving the desired results and a complete success.
