South Africa would in December 2015 play host to the second summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), a first for the African continent.

“As co-chair of FOCAC for the period 2012-2018, South Africa looks forward to hosting this historic event. This will be the second summit since the inception of FOCAC in 2006 and the first on the continent, ” said International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Friday.

The official announcement by Nkoana-Mashabane, accompanied by her Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi, was made during a media address in Beijing, China following a meeting between the two countries’ leaders, President Jacob Zuma and President Xi Jinping.

The summit in Johannesburg would take place December 4 and 5 and would be preceded by a meeting of senior officials on December 2. A sixth ministerial meeting of FOCAC would take place the following day.

“South Africa looks forward to President Xi Jinping’s participation in this historic event. The Summit will further consolidate the partnership between Africa and China through South–South cooperation, giving special attention to industrialisation and the regional integration of economies in Africa,” said Nkoana-Mashabane.