China to make greater contribution to Africa's health sector: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (R, front) and Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat (L, front) attend a ceremony that marked the completion of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters project in the southern suburb of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia on Jan. 11, 2023.(Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- China will make a greater contribution to Africa's health sector and the well-being of its people, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Wednesday.

Qin made the comments during a ceremony that marked the completion of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters project in the southern suburb of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The Africa CDC headquarters is a flagship cooperation project announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and another landmark project for China-Africa cooperation after the African Union (AU) Conference Center, Qin said.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Africa have overcome difficulties and achieved project capping ahead of schedule, creating new highlights in China-Africa cooperation, Qin said.

He said the timely delivery of the Africa CDC headquarters in the hands of African friends reflects the high-standard and high-level China-Africa cooperation. It also demonstrates the Chinese style of keeping promises, efficiency, and pragmatism.

Qin expressed his confidence that with the joint efforts of China and Africa, the Africa CDC will make greater contributions to the health and well-being of the African people and write a new chapter in the history of China-Africa relations.

He emphasized that China will hand over the Africa CDC headquarters to African friends and put it under the full authority of the AU, adding that if the African side is in need, China will do its best to continue to provide support and assistance.

Noting that the headquarters of the Africa CDC now stands firmly, Qin said the project has also marked a great monument built by brothers and sisters of China and Africa with their traditional friendship and hard work. "It tells the world with irrefutable facts that China has always supported Africa with concrete actions, and China-Africa relations will have an even brighter future."