China-Africa Summit: Beijing welcomes 50 African leaders

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, center, pose with leaders of African countries before the welcome dinner of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday hosted African leaders in Beijing for a major summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The three-day gathering aims to strengthen ties between China and Africa at a time of rising tensions with the West.

More than 50 African leaders are present to discuss cooperation in key areas such as agriculture, security and industrialization, which are essential to the continent's development.

The summit was opened with an official banquet hosted by Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Great Hall of the People. Bilateral meetings were held between China and African countries such as South Africa, Djibouti and Cameroon. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also attended as a special guest.

For China, the summit is an opportunity to consolidate its role as Africa's leading trading partner and investor, while counterbalancing the influence of the United States and Europe in the Global South.