The highly anticipated 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit was held in Beijing from September 4th to 6th. Chinese and African leaders gathered around the theme "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future" to strengthen friendship, discuss cooperation, and envision the future. Liu Guowang, Chairman of Sinosteel Group, was invited to attend the 2024 China-South Africa Economic and Trade Forum (hereinafter referred to as "China-South Africa Forum"), the FOCAC Beijing Summit opening ceremony, and the 8th China-Africa Business Conference. He attended President Xi Jinping's keynote speech and engaged in friendly exchanges with various stakeholders regarding China-Africa project cooperation in minor metals resource development and deep processing.
The China-South Africa Forum aimed to promote high-quality development of economic and trade investment cooperation between the two countries. South African President Ramaphosa led a delegation including ministerial leaders from the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Energy, Department of Infrastructure, and others. At the forum, Liu Guowang stated that Sinosteel Group has always pursued a path of cooperation and openness, cultivating its presence in South Africa for over three decades while adhering to the principles of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith, and maintaining a path of mutual benefit and win-win high-quality development. He expressed hope for the South African government's attention and support in improving inland logistics efficiency. Against the backdrop of China and South Africa jointly advancing modernization and building a community with a shared future, Sinosteel will practice the "Way of Harmony and Unity" with South African business partners, bring together the "Force of Harmony and Unity" and contribute to building a closer China-South Africa community with a shared future.
During the forum, Chinese and South African enterprises signed multiple cooperation agreements covering key areas such as clean energy, manufacturing, and technological cooperation. Samancor, controlled by Sinosteel Group, signed agreements with CGN Energy International, China-Africa Development Fund, and South Africa's Kona Holdings for the TFC ferrochrome smelter photovoltaic power station project. This project represents the first private PPA captive power station by Chinese enterprises in South Africa, expected to reduce TFC smelter's annual CO2 emissions by 176,000 tons. It aims to serve as a model in South Africa's green captive power sector and become an exemplar of supporting South Africa's industrialization and energy transition process under the China-Africa cooperation framework.
In his keynote speech at the FOCAC Beijing Summit opening ceremony, President Xi Jinping announced that China would elevate bilateral relations with all African countries with diplomatic ties to strategic partnerships, upgrade China-Africa relations to an all-weather community with a shared future in the new era, and implement ten major partnership actions to advance modernization together. Premier Li Qiang, in his address at the 8th China-Africa Business Conference opening ceremony, called on Chinese and African entrepreneurs to demonstrate wisdom and responsibility, seize constants amid changes, identify opportunities amid challenges, actively adapt to trends, and steadfastly deepen cooperation to play a greater role in promoting development in China, Africa, and globally. As a pioneer in China Baowu's industrial ecosystem's "going global" strategy, Sinosteel Group entered Africa in the 1990s, consistently practicing international business principles and cultivating presence in African mineral resource development and alloy manufacturing for over three decades, strengthening cultural exchange while building the world's leading chrome enterprise. Sinosteel will leverage FOCAC cooperation momentum to continuously deepen industrial chain, value chain, and innovation chain cooperation with African partners, build bridges of China-Africa friendship through mutual benefit and make greater contributions to high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Leaders from Sinosteel Overseas and Samancor participate in the related activities.
Liu Guowang attend the 2024 China-South Africa Economic and Trade Forum upon invitation
Samancor signed cooperation agreements with CGN Energy International, China-Africa Development Fund, and South Africa's Kona Holdings