Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso and his wife Antoinette Sassou Nguesso during a welcoming ceremony in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to the talks between Xi and Sassou in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 6, 2024. Xi held talks with Sassou, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and a state visit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)