A welcome ceremony is held at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, as medical equipment donated by China arrives in Ghana, on April 6, 2020. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

China and African countries should join hands to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and boost economic ties and people-to-people exchanges, a webinar on enhancing China-Africa friendship was told.

Li Bin, vice-chairwoman of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association, or CAPFA, said on Wednesday that the pandemic has posed severe challenges for the world. That made it more necessary than ever for Chinese and Africans to work together to overcome the difficulties.

More than 200 Chinese and African representatives participated in the webinar to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the CAPFA on Wednesday.

Li said that over the past 60 years, Chinese and African people have supported each other and embraced a path of cooperation and common development. The CAPFA has witnessed the historic progress made in efforts to increase political mutual trust, accelerate economic and trade cooperation and deepen exchanges in various fields.

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The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee has drawn up a blueprint for China's development over the next few years. The plan will offer new opportunities for China to carry out pragmatic cooperation with the world, including with African countries, she said.

Li added that China and Africa are in a community with a shared future and both sides have always worked together to cope with major public health risks, such as outbreaks of the Ebola virus.

The CAPFA is willing to continue to share China's COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control experiences with African countries, offer help to countries that have difficulties coping with the pandemic, and encourage Chinese and African nongovernmental organizations and enterprises to work with each other on public health.

With the strong support of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation mechanism and the Belt and Road Initiative, trade between China and Africa has grown from US$10 billion in 2000 to over US$200 billion last year

Lin Songtian, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said that with the strong support of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation mechanism and the Belt and Road Initiative, trade between China and Africa has grown from US$10 billion in 2000 to over US$200 billion last year. China has also become the main investment and financing source for African countries.

With China's support, Africa has accelerated its industrialization and urbanization, and there is a bright future for Africa's development as well as for China-Africa cooperation, he said.

People exchanges

Charles Namondwe, Malawi's ambassador to China, said that people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa have been strengthened over the past 60 years, and China has offered great support for African students to obtain an education. He expects both sides to boost cooperation in all aspects, including economics and trade.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular news conference in Beijing on Thursday that China will work with Africa to implement the outcomes of the 2018 Beijing Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19.

Hua said China will also strengthen cooperation in building the Belt and Road Initiative, bringing more benefits to Chinese and Africans and building an even closer China-Africa community with a shared future.

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Contact the writer at chenyingqun@chinadaily.com.cn