On September 1, 2018, the 13th Senior Officials' Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Beijing. The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary General of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the FOCAC and Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Dai Bing and Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation Anil Sooklal of South Africa, the co-chair of the FOCAC. Nearly 300 people were present, including senior officials and delegates of 54 African member states, and principals of relevant departments of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the FOCAC. The meeting reviewed and approved the drafts of the outcome documents of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, and the drafts of the agenda of the Summit and the 7th Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC.

Representatives present at the meeting spoke highly of the drafts of the outcome documents, and believed that the drafts covered all the fields of Africa-China cooperation and comprehensively reflected Africa's development demands and the broadest consensus between Africa and China. It is expected and believed that the Summit will further improve unity and build consensus between Africa and China, deepen mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation between Africa and China, and promote the building of an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future. The senior officials' meeting was a preparatory meeting for the Beijing Summit and the 7th Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC.