A volunteer plays African drum with children during a hands-on experience session at the Angola pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. Photo: Xinhua

New cooperation plans within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are expected to be signed among China and African countries during the upcoming 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which will be held from Wednesday to Friday, an official from China's top economic planner said on Monday.

China will sign new cooperation plans with some African countries to further deepen and deliver tangible results in China-Africa cooperation under the BRI, Xu Jianping, an official of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said on Monday during a press conference.

BRI cooperation between China and Africa has huge potential and broad prospects. China will work with African countries and the African Union to further consolidate the foundation of cooperation, expand cooperation areas and jointly promote modernization, said Xu.

"We will strive to deepen strategic alignment, connectivity and cooperation in new areas, as well as consultation and coordination, and make new breakthroughs," Xu noted.

In the past decade, 52 African countries and the African Union Commission have signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Belt and Road Cooperation with China. 

BRI cooperation between China and Africa has yielded fruitful results, covering infrastructure, health, green development, the digital economy, agriculture and talent training, said Xu. 

The effects of cooperation projects have been integrated to boost local livelihoods, Tang Lixia, professor and deputy dean of the College of International Development and Global Agriculture at China Agricultural University, told the Global Times. 

"With China helping to build infrastructure such as roads and railways in Africa, improved transport has helped and will continue to help in linking the  demand and supply of agricultural products, which will greatly motivate farmers to increase their food output," Tang said. 

Global Times