Chinese president back home after visits to Paris, Africa

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing Sunday afternoon after a week-long tour to France, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

During his stay in Paris, Xi attended the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and delivered a speech, expressing resolve in fulfilling Beijing's commitment to combating global warming and showing willingness to advance international cooperation.

Xi also met separately with French President Francois Hollande, US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on the sidelines of the conference.

The highly-anticipated meeting, opened by leaders from over 150 countries, aims to yield a new international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases beyond 2020 when the 1997 Kyoto Protocol expires.

Following his Paris stop, Xi paid state visits to Zimbabwe and South Africa. In Johannesburg, he chaired a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

During his Johannesburg stay, Xi and African leaders reached consensus on lifting China-Africa relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Two significant documents, including a declaration of the summit and an action plan for cooperation in the coming three years, were agreed by the leaders, setting bright prospects for China-Africa relations.

They also adopted a package of programs, proposed by Xi and aimed at strengthening China-Africa cooperation and supporting Africa's development in the next three years.

Ten major plans covered the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure, financial services, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and public welfare, public health, people-to-people exchanges, and peace and security.

Xi also held separate and group meetings with dozens of African leaders and attended a conference with business dignitaries.

The Johannesburg summit is the second of its kind under the 15-year-old framework of the FOCAC. The first China-Africa summit took place in 2006 in Beijing.

The FOCAC groups China, 50 African countries that have established diplomatic ties with China, and the Commission of the African Union.