On July 18, 2012, the ninth Senior Officials' Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Beijing. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun attended the opening as the co-chair of the Chinese Follow-up Committee. Hasan, Assistant Foreign Minister and senior official in charge of the FOCAC cooperation of Egypt which is the Africa-side chair country of the fifth FOCAC Ministerial Conference addressed the event. Around 300 people, including senior officials from China and the 51 FOCAC African member countries as well as representatives of the Chinese Follow-up Committee attended the opening ceremony.

Zhai said that China and Africa have cooperated closely and completely implemented the follow-up activities of the fourth FOCAC Ministerial Conference over the past three years. FOCAC has become a banner to lead the development of China-Africa relations and a role model of developing countries to strengthen cooperation. With the theme of "build on past achievements and open up new prospects for the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership", the fifth Ministerial Conference will comprehensively explore the new ideas and initiatives of China-Africa cooperation for the next three years and create an important opportunity to deepen the traditional friendship and expand the pragmatic cooperation between the two sides. This Conference will certainly raise the China-Africa relations to a new level.

Hasan noted that driven by FOCAC Africa-China cooperation in various fields has made ​​important progress and fruitful results. Africa and China have strengthened mutual trust and understanding. The FOCAC mechanism has been further improved and demonstrated greater vigor and vitality. Africa sincerely appreciates China's enormous contribution to peace and security in Africa. With the joint efforts of both sides, the fifth Ministerial Conference will achieve success and lay a more solid foundation for Africa-China cooperation.

The ninth Senior Officials' Meeting of FOCAC aims to prepare for the fifth FOCAC Ministerial Conference. The Chinese and African participants reviewed and approved the draft agenda of the Conference, approved the two outcome documents, i.e. the Beijing Declaration of the Fifth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC and the Beijing Action Plan - the Fifth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC (2013-2015) and will submit them to the Conference for deliberation.