Vice President Jessica Alupo, accompanied by a high-powered delegation, represented the Republic of Uganda at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing, China, on September 5, 2024.

President Xi Jinping hosted Heads of State, Government, and Delegations at the summit's opening ceremony, where he delivered a keynote address entitled "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a Community with a Shared Future" at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

In attendance were 51 African heads of state and government, two presidential representatives, the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, among other distinguished guests from China and across the globe.

In his address, Xi Jinping announced that bilateral relations between China and all African countries with diplomatic ties to China would be elevated to the level of strategic relations. He further emphasized that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations would be elevated to an "all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era." Additionally, President Xi Jinping further outlined ten partnership actions that China will pursue with Africa to advance modernization.

Earlier, on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, hosted a banquet to welcome international guests attending the 2024 FOCAC Summit in Beijing. Vice President Jessica Alupo was accompanied by her spouse, Mr. Peter Abeine, to the Welcoming Banquet of the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Full text: Keynote Address by President Xi Jinping at FOCAC 2024 Opening Ceremony - Read Here