Leaders from 24 African countries have arrived in China by yesterday, two days before a high-profile summit that highlights traditional friendship and cooperation between China and Africa.

Fifteen African leaders arrived in Beijing Thursday, including presidents of Zambia, Ghana and Kenya, while nine others had arrived earlier for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which attracts 48 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China.

The summit, slated for Nov. 4-5, will focus on "friendship, peace, cooperation and development".

Chinese and African leaders will exchange in-depth views on further development of Sino-African relations at the summit, and blueprint their future all-round cooperation in various fields, said Wei Jianguo, secretary-general of the Chinese preparatory committee for the summit, at Thursday's closing ceremony of a Senior Officials Meeting.

On Friday, Chinese and African ministers will be attending the Third Ministerial Conference. Following the 2000 launching of the FOCAC, two ministerial conferences were held in Beijing and Addis Ababa.

FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and cooperation jointly established by China and Africa to cope with new challenges and facilitate common development.