Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China’s commitment to strengthening ties with Senegal and the wider Global South during a high-level meeting with Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko in Beijing on Friday, June 28, 2025. President Xi emphasized that the two countries are “companions on the path to development and revitalization,” and said China is eager to deepen cooperation that benefits both nations. He highlighted recent progress under the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) agenda, which he co-chaired with Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye last September, calling the results thus far “encouraging early harvests.”
“This relationship is grounded in mutual respect and shared goals,” Xi said. “China and Senegal must work hand in hand to build a strong China-Africa community and reinforce cooperation across the Global South.” Prime Minister Sonko, on his first official visit to China since taking office in April, praised the enduring friendship between the two nations, noting it is based on mutual respect and sovereignty. “Our relationship with China is not based on ideological imposition but on shared values and mutual benefit,” said Sonko. “China’s support has been consistent with Senegal’s development vision.”
Sonko’s visit to Beijing followed his participation in the 2025 Summer Davos Forum in Tianjin, where he joined other global leaders in discussing economic innovation, green transition, and global cooperation. Senegal and China have recently intensified collaboration in key areas such as infrastructure development, agricultural modernization, and health care access—efforts that both leaders say are central to reducing inequality and boosting economic resilience across Africa.
