Supportive measures unveiled at event to consolidate Sino-African friendship

African leaders and experts have hailed President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19, saying the mutual support of China and African countries in the anti-epidemic fight is a vivid illustration of a China-Africa community with a shared future.

In his speech at the summit he presided over via video link in Beijing on Wednesday, Xi assured African countries that China will continue supporting COVID-19 containment measures on the continent.

While calling for solidarity and cooperation to defeat the novel coronavirus pandemic, Xi unveiled an array of measures to help Africa cope with the public health crisis, including providing technical and material support and debt relief for African countries.

Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong said after the summit that what Xi advocated in his speech showed the firm determination of China and Africa to defeat the epidemic and overcome difficulties, indicated the direction for future cooperation and injected impetus into international anti-epidemic efforts.

China and Africa expressed support for each other not only in the anti-epidemic fight and economic and social development, but also on issues related to each other's core interests and major concerns, Chen said.

The virtual summit was initiated by China, South Africa and Senegal. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is the current chairperson of the African Union while Senegalese President Macky Sall is a co-chairperson of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Ramaphosa said the summit demonstrates the depth and resilience of solidarity between China and Africa. "Sino-African solidarity and better multilateral cooperation are key to winning the battle against this pandemic," he said.