The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is the most comprehensive platform that promotes the China-Africa relationship. Since its inception in 2000, FOCAC has aimed to facilitate collective dialogue and practical cooperation between China and Africa. To date, there have been five ministerial conferences, including a leaders’ summit in 2006. The upcoming sixth FOCAC, which will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa on 4-5 December 2015, will see heads of state and governments from China and African countries gather for the second time since the 2006 summit. This will also be the first FOCAC summit hosted in the African continent.  This issue brief examines FOCAC trends in terms of commitments and priorities, and its multi-level consultative process. It also goes beyond FOCAC to take a closer look at other major partnerships that Africa enjoys, and the increasing participation of international organizations in the process.