African Leaders Meet in Beijing for FOCAC Summit

Japan is expanding its Indo-Pacific strategy to include Africa as a key element, recognizing its strategic importance alongside India. Meanwhile, African leaders are convening in Beijing for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit to secure infrastructure funding and trade deals from China, with a focus on new energy and technology projects. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang have met with several African leaders, emphasizing mutual cooperation in economic development and investment. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the importance of bilateral trade and infrastructure cooperation during his state visit to China. China aims to leverage the summit to boost exports of its green technologies and address previous commitments to African nations. The summit also serves as a platform for fostering sustainable cooperation between China and African nations, as many countries grapple with significant debt burdens from previous loans.