On December 11, 2020, Secretary General of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Wu Peng attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the 2020 China-Africa Private Sector Cooperation Forum at invitation.

Wu Peng said that as a sub-forum within the FOCAC's framework, the China-Africa Private Sector Cooperation Forum has become an important platform and well-established event for Chinese and African private enterprises to increase exchanges and expand cooperation. The forum was convened as scheduled during the pandemic, which fully shows our sincere will and firm resolve to work cooperatively for common development. Private enterprises are indispensible for the progress in China-Africa cooperation. A lot of Chinese private enterprises are making investments and doing business in Africa to facilitate the industrialization and sustainable development of Africa. African private enterprises are also bringing well-received quality products from Africa to China. During the pandemic, some private enterprises were struck by difficulties in their business operation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the Chinese Embassies and Consulates in Africa are willing to enhance communication and collaboration with the African counterparts to provide support and assistance for the post-pandemic recovery of private enterprises. He is confident that private enterprises will make greater contribution to carrying forward the China-Africa traditional friendship and sustaining our unity and cooperation.

Themed as "Opportunities and Challenges of China-Africa Industrial and Trade Cooperation amid COVID-19", the Forum was co-hosted by All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), the AU representational office in China, and the Embassies of Senegal, Morocco and Ethiopia in China, and organized by China-Africa Business Council. Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Executive Vice Chairman of ACFIC Xu Lejiang and Senegal's Minister of the Economy, Planning and International Cooperation Amadou Hott attended and addressed the opening ceremony via video link. Over 10 African envoys including Senegalese Ambassador to China Mamadou Ndiaye, and over 150 Chinese and African government officials, experts and scholars, financial institution representatives, and private entrepreneurs attended the event.