The African Union (AU) said on Sunday that it will officially launch the AU representational office in Beijing, China, as part of the ongoing Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit.
The official launch of the AU office in Beijing will be witnessed by the chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, who arrived in Beijing on Saturday to participate in the Sept. 3-4 FOCAC Summit.
According to the pan-African bloc, the chairperson will address the FOCAC Summit during the opening ceremony, scheduled for Sept. 3, and participate in the deliberations of the meeting.
Faki, in addition to the formal launch of the AU office in Beijing, is also expected to attend the signing of a memorandum of understanding to reinforce synergies between Agenda 2063 and the Belt and Road Initiative, according to an AU statement issued on Sunday.
"During his stay, Chairperson Faki will also meet with Chinese authorities to discuss how best to advance the partnership between the African Union and the People's Republic of China, in the context of the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit and as a follow-up to the visit he undertook to Beijing last February," the statement said.