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A meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on South Africa’s hosting of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) took place in Cape Town on Tuesday,  24 November 2015, to discuss the latest developments pertaining to the programme and logistics of the Summit.

The upcoming Summit will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from 4 to 5 December 2015 under the theme: “Africa-China Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development."

South Africa assumed the role as co-chair of FOCAC for the period 2012 to 2018. In this regard, South Africa was originally scheduled to host the 6th FOCAC  Ministerial Meeting, which was subsequently elevated to Summit level.

The Summit will be preceded by a Senior Officials Meeting on 2 December 2015, followed by a Ministerial Meeting on 3 December 2015.

African heads of state and government, representatives from the African Union (AU), heads of regional organisations and multilateral organisations will participate in the Summit.

Members of the IMC were informed that consultations with the co-host, the Chinese Government, as well as the African member states, continue to take place through diplomatic channels.

As discussed in the IMC meeting of 6 November 2015, logistical and substance preparations are at an advanced stage. The programmes for the Senior Officials Meeting, the Ministerial Meeting,  the Summit, as well as all the main side events, have been finalised.

The outcome document of the Summit,  the Johannesburg Declaration and Action Plan, which will outline specific measures aimed at consolidating the growing mutual partnership between Africa and China, is also in the process of being finalised for further discussion and adoption at the Summit.

All logistical arrangements are also in place and the accreditation centres in Pretoria and Johannesburg are now operational. Further details regarding live accreditation will be communicated through DIRCO.

In this regard, the IMC expressed confidence that the Summit will succeed in its objective to elevate Africa-China relations and ensure mutual benefit and growth, which will result in the betterment of the lives of the peoples of Africa and China.

Issued by Government Communications (GCIS) on behalf of Department of International Relations and Cooperation