China’s President Xi Jinping will meet with the Cape Verdean President, Jorge Carlos Fonseca, next month, said Du Xiaocong the Chinese Ambassador to the African archipelago.

Cape Verdean news agency Inforpress reported Mr Du met with Mr Fonseca on Tuesday. They talked about the preparation of the Second Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 4 and 5.

The summit would be “important” and would strengthen the relationship between China and Cape Verde, the Ambassador said. Mr Xi would also meet with Mr Fonseca during the summit, he added.

Speaking of bilateral co-operation, Mr Du said the remodelling of the Cape Verdean Presidential Palace, carried out by a Chinese firm, would be completed and handed back to the national administration shortly.

China is to set up an institute at the University of Cape Verde as part of efforts to expand bilateral co-operation, he added.