Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to offer African nations billions of dollars in aid and loans.
President Xi is hosting the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing where the leaders of nearly 50 African nations will gather.
The event is being seen as China's apparent attempt to secure more allies and potential trade partners amid a bitter trade war with the U.S.
In a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday, a day ahead of the gathering, President Xi reiterated that China is still determined to reform and wants to work with all parties to build an open world economy.
The Chinese president is also expected to use the gathering to defend his Belt and Road infrastructure, which has faced some criticism recently for leaving countries that have joined with significant debt.