Beginning from the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt in 1956, friendly China-African cooperation has seen steady development in the past 44 years. China and African countries have been expanding and deepening cooperation in the areas such as politics, economy, trade, culture and education and health, resulting in remarkable achievements.

    Great and profound changes have taken place in the international situation since the end of the Cold War. As a result, developing countries are now facing challenges as well as opportunities. Taking into account the new international situation, China and African countries share the strong desire to further consultations and cooperation, and to jointly meet the challenges posed in the new century.

    China is the biggest developing country, while Africa is the continent with the greater concentration of developing countries than any other continent. China-African friendly relations are deep-rooted, as they share similar historical experiences and are free from any historical conflicts.

    Furthermore, China and African countries are both faced with the common task of development and share extensive common interests in international affairs. It is, therefore, in the interests of both China and African countries, and in conformity with the world trend towards peace and development, to establish even closer friendly cooperative relations.

    In this new situation, some African countries have proposed to China that China and African countries should establish a new mechanism for collective dialogues and cooperation. The Chinese government has decided after deliberation to accept this proposal and put forward the initiative of hosting a China-Africa Cooperation Forum, so that China and African countries can exchange their views and coordinate their positions on major issues through this multilateral consultation mechanism.

    The Forum has set course for the development orientation of China-Africa relations in the new century.

    The founding of the forum is a requirement posed by the changes in the situation, as well as an inevitable result of the half-century-long development of China-Africa friendly cooperative relations.

    In a sense, the founding of this forum is an important measure to promote South-South cooperation. Through this channel, China and African countries, a major component of developing countries, can seek common development and effectively address common challenges ahead.

    In October 1999, then Chinese President Jiang Zemin sent letters to heads of state of all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China and Secretary-General Salim Ahmed Salim of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), officially proposing convening Ministerial Conference Beijing 2000 of the FOCAC and spelling out the principles of "carrying out consultation on an equal footing, enhancing understanding, increasing consensus, promoting friendship and furthering cooperation."

    Two topics for discussion were also introduced: "How to promote the building of a new international political and economic order so as to safeguard the common interests of developing countries in the 21st century" and "How to further China-Africa cooperation in trade and economy in the new situation."

    The African leaders gave immediate responses to President Zemin's letters, voicing their support to the proposal and the will to send ministers to attend the proposed conference. In January 2000, then Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and then Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng jointly issued invitations to the foreign ministers and the ministers in charge of foreign trade and economic cooperation affairs of the African countries that have diplomatic ties with China and soon received positive feedbacks.

    Thereafter, China began to make full preparations for the conference and both sides began to hold consultations on matters related to the conference as well.

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