Chinese President Xi Jinping waits to deliver a speech at a plenary session during the Asian-African Conference in Jakarta, April 22, 2015. (Photo : REUTERS)
The Chinese government is expected to cement its ties with developing countries and outline a vision that supports peace and unity during the Asian-African Summit in Indonesia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will be present at the conference after traveling to Indonesia late on Tuesday to attend the summit.
The upcoming Asian-African Summit commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference, which marked a crucial milestone in the cooperation between China, Africa and other Asian countries.
According to reports, President Xi Jinping's speech is expected to be focused on peace in Asia and Africa. Despite the numerous strides made since the Bandung Summit, both continents are still afflicted with poverty, political turmoil and terrorism.
The Asian-African Summit is scheduled to be held from Wednesday to Friday and is themed "Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Promote World Peace and Prosperity," Reuters reported.
Delegates from 109 Asian and African nations are expected to attend the conference, which also aims to foster stronger partnerships and will enable nations to share their experiences in economic development.
Further, 16 observer states and 25 international organizations have also been invited to the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Summit, which is scheduled to be held in Indonesia's capital Jakarta and Bandung, its third largest city, from April 19-24.
"As the world's second-largest economy, other Western countries have stopped looking at China as a developing county and demanded it shoulder more responsibilities and provide more public services. The change will prompt concerns from other developing countries, questioning whether China has grown apart from them," Ji Qiufeng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, said.
"The summit presents a good opportunity for China to reassure its stance, which is that China will continue to strive in the best interests of developing countries on the international stage."
The presence of the Chinese president at the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference is symbolic of the level of importance that the country places on the summit.
The strides made at the 1955 conference helped dismantle the diplomatic blockade against China. Former Premier Zhou Enlai also presented the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, later expanded into the Ten Principles of Bandung and the Bandung Spirit. This has now become a widely recognized set of norms for international relations.
"I think Xi's presence at the commemoration in Bandung sends a strong message to developing countries in Asia and Africa that 60 years on, China is still with them and China is not abandoning its friends," Ji said.
