Alhaji Dr Sarjor Bah speaking at the event
A landmark seminar commemorating 70 years of China–Africa and China–Arab diplomatic relations convened in Beijing yesterday 23rd June, 2026 bringing together senior diplomats and representatives from across the Global South. The event was marked by a powerful address delivered by H.E. Ambassador Alhaji Dr Sarjoh Bah, Permanent Representative of the African Union to China, speaking on behalf of AU Commission Chairperson H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
Ambassador Bah opened by paying tribute to President Xi Jinping’s leadership, praising China’s accelerated development trajectory and its growing role in shaping the emerging global order.
He highlighted President Xi’s Ten Partnership Actions for Africa’s Modernization, the zero‑tariff policy implemented on 1 May 2026, and the Four Global Initiatives on Development, Security, Civilization and Governance — initiatives he said “reinforce multilateralism and expand the voice of the Global South.”
Reflecting on seven decades of diplomatic engagement, Ambassador Bah described China–Africa relations as “a relationship forged through history, tested through adversity and continuously renewed through solidarity.”
He recalled China’s support for African liberation movements and Africa’s pivotal role in restoring the People’s Republic of China’s lawful seat at the United Nations in 1971. This shared history, he noted, has evolved into a strategic, all‑weather partnership that now spans development cooperation, modernization, and global governance.
A central focus of the address was the transformative impact of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Ambassador Bah emphasized that FOCAC has turned longstanding friendship into a structured, results‑oriented framework delivering tangible progress in infrastructure, energy, agriculture, public health, science and technology, education, and skills development. These areas, he stressed, are “central to the implementation of Agenda 2063” and essential to Africa’s long‑term vision of integration and prosperity.
He welcomed the continued alignment between FOCAC commitments, Africa’s Second Ten‑Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, and China’s 15th Five‑Year Plan — an alignment reaffirmed during the Ninth AU–China Strategic Dialogue held in Addis Ababa earlier this year.
Turning to global affairs, Ambassador Bah underscored that the world is undergoing profound geopolitical, economic, technological, and environmental shifts that no region can navigate alone. He called for stronger coordination between Africa and China in multilateral institutions, greater support for Global South priorities, and reforms to global governance structures.
He reaffirmed the AU’s commitment to an international order grounded in the UN Charter, sovereignty, international law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
As the seminar marked a historic milestone, Ambassador Bah urged all sides to “honour the past by building a partnership equal to the demands of the future,” one that moves “from projects to transformation, from commitments to implementation and from shared principles to shared prosperity.”
He concluded with a forward‑looking call for an enhanced trilateral partnership between Africa, China, and the Arab world, arguing that such cooperation — if fully leveraged — has the potential to shape humanity’s future in the 21st century.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wenesday, 24th June 2026 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
