BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday chaired the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 in Beijing.

The summit, held via video link, was jointly proposed by China, South Africa, the rotating chair of the African Union (AU), and Senegal, the co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Leaders of African countries, including members of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government and rotating chairs of major African sub-regional organizations, and the chairperson of the AU Commission, attended the summit.

The secretary-general of the United Nations and the director-general of the World Health Organization also attended the meeting as special guests.