File photo shows national flags of FOCAC members. [Photo/Xinhua]

JOHANNESBURG - The Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is to kick off on Friday, with an eye to setting the next agenda for bilateral ties and cementing partnership in new areas that would unleash mutual benefits.

The two-day summit, which brings together President Xi Jinping and dozens of his counterparts from African countries, is under the theme of "Africa-China Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development."

The event is expected to see the announcement of China's new initiatives to promote its comprehensive cooperation with Africa.

New measures to help Africa will cover industrialization, food security, public health and disease prevention. Peace-keeping and security will also be included in upcoming discussions at the landmark gathering.

Xi, who is on a three-nation foreign trip, said he looks forward to working with African friends to strategize the development of China-Africa ties, open up new prospects for China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and set a new milestone in the history of China-Africa interaction.

Since the inception of FOCAC in 2000, the Sino-Africa bilateral cooperation in many fields has blossomed thanks to goodwill and sincerity from both sides.

After more than a decade of development, the FOCAC has become a brand for China's diplomacy.