Luanda - Angolan Foreign Minister Téte António began a 48-hour visit to China on Monday to attend the Ministerial Conference of Coordinators for the Implementation of the Results of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Changsha.
The high-level meeting brings together representatives from African countries and China to monitor and coordinate the implementation of commitments made during FOCAC summits.
These meetings are strategically held between major FOCAC summits, typically every three years, to adjust cooperation strategies and projects based on the evolving needs of African countries and the priorities of Chinese foreign policy.
The aim is to refine bilateral and multilateral coordination, ensuring effective project implementation and preparing for the next FOCAC summit by defining priority themes.
Since 2007, Angola has been China's largest trading partner in Africa, with trade volumes reaching $24.8 billion in 2010. Ten years later, the value of trade with China increased to 61 percent, reaching $5.55 billion. In 2018, China approved a new financing line of $2 billion.
This partnership is based on equality and mutual benefits, contributing to the development of both countries and helping to establish a new international political and economic order, promoting the democratization of international relations.
In Angola, China is involved in various areas of economic and social life, with a strong presence in the training of personnel, having been fundamental in the construction and equipping of the Integrated Center for Technological Training (CINFOTEC) in Huambo province, and the Venâncio de Moura Diplomatic Academy in Luanda, as well as scholarships for young Angolans.
Relations between Angola and China date back to 1983 and reached their peak from 2000, when the Asian giant began making loans to the country for the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by war and to boost the national economy.