The historic Beijing Summit of the Forum on Sino-African Cooperation (FOCAC) will open at the Great Hall of the People at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, with major Chinese TV and radio networks and websites live broadcasting the opening ceremony.

President Hu Jintao, 41 heads of state or government and senior officials of 48 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China, including Prime Minister of Ethiopia which co-chairs FOCAC, Alpha Oumar Konare, chairman of the Commission of the African Union (AU) and representatives from regional and international organizations, will attend the landmark gathering highlighting "friendship, peace, cooperation and development".

Prior to the opening ceremony, a grand welcoming ceremony is being held at the Great Hall of the People, and Chinese and African leaders will put their signatures on the stamps commemorating the summit.

Shortly afterwards, President Hu, Prime Minister of Ethiopia which co-chairs FOCAC, and President of the Republic of Congo who chairs the AU for the 2006 session, will address the opening ceremony.

Also Saturday morning, the high-level dialogue and second conference of Chinese and African entrepreneurs will also open at the Great Hall of the People, and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will deliver a speech.

In the evening, a welcoming banquet will be given at the Great Hall of the People to mark the opening of the summit, followed by a performing gala.

China National Radio, China Radio International and China Central Television (CCTV) will live broadcast the opening ceremony, together with www.xinhuanet.com, www.people.com.cn and www.china.org.

The summit has been widely acclaimed as the most important and largest meeting between China and African leaders since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

At the two-day summit, Chinese and African countries will review the development of China-Africa relationship and blueprint the future cooperation. FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.

Since the FOCAC launch in 2000, three ministerial conferences have been held in Beijing and Addis Ababa, with an action plan discussed and passed, laying out cooperation programs between China and Africa from 2007 to 2009 under the FOCAC framework.

On Friday, the third ministerial conference deliberated on a draft declaration and decided to submit it to the summit, in hope of passing it Saturday.

On Thursday, senior officials from China and 48 African countries concluded a two-day meeting in the Chinese capital. China is expected to announce a package of major assistance, investment, trade and other key cooperation projects with Africa at the summit.