🤝 Earlier today at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the Chinese mainland’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf kicked off the ninth China-AU Strategic Dialogue.
The event also saw the festive launch of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges 🌍, aiming to bring communities closer through culture, education and youth programs.
Agenda highlights included talks on accelerating modernization, exploring zero-tariff trade treatments and strengthening a new International Organization for Mediation. Both sides also discussed the outlook for peace and development in the Horn of Africa.
As fellow members of the Global South, the Chinese mainland and the AU share a broad consensus on key regional and international issues. They pledged to work together to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South while respecting each other’s core concerns.
On the diplomatic front, the AU side reaffirmed its firm commitment to the one-China principle, stressing that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.
Both leaders also voiced concern over recent developments in Venezuela, underlining that the UN Charter and international law must guide the peaceful settlement of disputes and respect for sovereignty.
Looking ahead, they highlighted the alignment between the Chinese mainland’s 15th Five-Year Plan and the AU’s Agenda 2063. Key initiatives include the Chinese mainland’s Global Security Initiative, the Global Governance Initiative and Africa’s flagship projects like Silencing the Guns by 2030 and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Wang Yi and Youssouf wrapped up by recommitting to turn signed cooperation agreements and memoranda into practical projects that deliver real benefits to the peoples of the Chinese mainland and Africa. The stage is set for deeper ties and fresh momentum in China-AU relations 🚀.
Reference(s):
China, African Union hold strategic dialogue at AU headquarters
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