Chinese, African diplomats in Washington celebrate FOCAC family

Diplomats from at least 30 African embassies to the United States gathered in Washington on Thursday night to mark the success of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which concluded on Tuesday.

While the forum in Beijing was described by President Xi Jinping as the reunion of the China-Africa big family, the event in Washington was an intimate get-together for the African and Chinese diplomatic communities to celebrate the progress and promise they share as family members.

"We thought it was really important for us to celebrate. Although we are all here accredited to Washington, it's also an African way to show appreciation and thanks to our Chinese counterpart," Gabon Ambassador to the United States Michael Moussa-Adamo said at the party, which was held at his residence in downtown Washington.