Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Regular Press Conference on November 29, 2021

CCTV: Recently,  the topping-out ceremony of the main structure of the China-aided Africa CDC  Headquarters Phase I Project was held in the southern suburb of Ethiopia’s  capital, Addis Ababa. Can you share more on that?

Wang Wenbin: On  November 26, the topping-out ceremony of the main structure of the China-aided  Africa CDC Headquarters Phase I Project was held in the southern suburb of  Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The project, which started in December 2020,  has a total floor area of 23,500 square meters. You can imagine that it is a  hard-won achievement. Within one year, despite the impact of COVID-19, the  Chinese workers and local staff worked in close coordination to pull it through.  This is a strong testament to the deepening China-Africa cooperation. Upon  completion, the project will become the first Africa CDC with modern offices and  laboratories and sophisticated facilities on the African Continent. It will make  an important contribution to strengthening epidemic prevention and control in  Africa.

China always  follows the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and of  pursuing the greater good and shared interests in its policies on Africa, and  works with African countries in solidarity and cooperation on the path of  development. COVID-19 has not stopped China-Africa cooperation from making  progress. The successful topping-out of the Africa CDC Headquarters building  project is a vivid illustration of the brotherly friendship and the spirit of  friendly cooperation between China and Africa in the face of the pandemic. After  COVID-19 broke out, China rushed to Africa’s assistance. We have provided nearly  200 million doses of vaccines to Africa and delivered 120 batches of  anti-epidemic supplies to 53 African countries and the African Union. China also  actively supports efforts to reduce the debt burden of African countries and has  signed agreements or reached consensus on debt suspension with 19 African  countries.

The eighth  Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will  soon be held in Senegal, the African co-chair of FOCAC. China will work with the  54 African members of FOCAC to jointly take stock of the implementation of the  outcomes of the Beijing Summit and the outcomes of the two sides’ joint response  to COVID-19 in solidarity, chart the course for the development of China-Africa  relations in the next three years and beyond, enrich the China-Africa  comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership, and inject new and strong  impetus into China-Africa community with a shared future.