China and Africa should use a forthcoming summit to enhance their development partnership in various fields, a Chinese envoy said Wednesday.
The China-Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC) Summit will be held in early December in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Yang Youming, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, said the two sides should take advantage of the summit to further promote South-South cooperation to a higher level.
His remarks comes from a feature article he wrote on the Zambia Daily Mail.
Yang said the fundamental objectives are to help Africa achieve economic independence, self-reliant sustainable development and to achieve win-win cooperation and common development.
The summit, he said, would be a historic gathering which would go a long way in strengthening China-Africa cooperation.
In his first visit to Africa in 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forth the policy of "sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith" and the correct viewpoint of righteousness and benefit to guide China's relations with Africa, Yang said.
During a high-level round-table meeting hosted by China and the United Nations (UN) on the sidelines of the UN summit in September this year, China pledged to set up the South-South cooperation assistance fund, with an initial contribution of 2 billion U.S. dollars to support developing countries.
According to the Chinese envoy, the South-South cooperation has always been a basic diplomatic policy of China in its efforts to actively participate in international development cooperation.
"Africa is the continent where most of the developing countries in the world are located and also a key area for China's South-South cooperation. Africa is blessed with abundant natural and human resources and enjoys huge market and development potential," he said.
"More importantly, China has the strong political will to support Africa in achieving its economic independence and self-reliant sustainable development," he added.
