Chinese President Xi Jinping will preside over an extraordinary China-Africa summit on solidarity against COVID-19 in Beijing on Wednesday, and deliver a keynote speech, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Tuesday.

The summit is jointly proposed by China; South Africa, the rotating chair of the African Union (AU); and Senegal, co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

It will be held via video link.

Leaders of African countries, including members of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government and rotating chairs of major African subregional organisations; and the chairperson of the AU Commission will attend the summit upon invitation.

The secretary-general of the UN and the director-general of the World Health Organisation will attend the meeting as special guests.