A screenshot of the official website's English version homepage on August 8, 2018. /Screenshot via focacsummit.mfa.gov.cn
The official website for next month's Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation made its debut as government officials from China and African nations witnessed the launch of the site on Wednesday morning.
Established by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the site can be accessed in Chinese, English and French. It will bring updates for official delegations, media and the businesses community.
It has six parts on the homepage including headlines, the summit, side events, opinion, services and videos.
"It will serve as the official platform for news releases concerning the summit," said Chen Xiaodong, assistant minister at the MOFA, at the launch in Beijing. "You are all welcome to log on and see what's in it. Hopefully, our African colleagues will recommend this website to people back home."
During the launch event, Chen said he appreciated the great contributions made by African ambassadors and diplomats during the preparation for the coming Beijing summit this September.
"The official website launched today by the Chinese foreign ministry reflects the will of the people and the trend of globalization. The African Diplomatic Corps appreciates the goodwill of all countries in the China-Africa Cooperation Forum, especially in upgrading technologies for real-time information sharing," said Victor Sikonina, dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in Beijing. He also talked about the importance of the new digital platform.
Top officials from China and Africa will gather in Beijing in September to discuss enhancing cooperation in technology, investment, agriculture and other areas. Preparations are well underway for the summit. After the launch of the website, the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee will have further consultations with African envoys on the final-stage preparations.
