This year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Over the past 25 years, the relationship between China and Africa has achieved a leapfrog development from a “new type of partnership” established at the first FOCAC Ministerial Meeting, to a “new type of strategic partnership,” then a “comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership,” and to an “all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era,” entering the best period in history.
From the “10 cooperation plans,” “eight major initiatives,” and “nine programs” to the “10 partnership actions,” solid blueprints have been implemented one after another and key projects have been delivered and borne fruits. Over the past 25 years, especially since the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress, China and Africa have set a stellar example of solidarity and cooperation for the Global South through their vivid practices, painting a new picture of development characterized by mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2024 has been included in the Volume V of the book series Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. President Xi said that China and Africa's joint pursuit of modernization will set off a wave of modernization in the Global South, and open a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for humanity.
In June, President Xi sent a congratulatory letter to the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the FOCAC. It is hoped that China and Africa will continue to steadily advance the implementation of the Beijing Summit's outcomes, carefully plan the future development of the FOCAC, join hands to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for humanity, said Xi.
In the 17th installment of the special series "Decoding the Book of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China," the Global Times (GT), along with the People's Daily Overseas Edition, continues to invite Chinese and foreign scholars, translators of Xi's works, practitioners with firsthand experience, and international readers to discuss the theme of "joining hands to build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for humanity," exploring the important practical significance and value of this concept.
In the 15th article of the "Scholars' Perspectives" column, the Global Times talked to Professor He Wenping (He), senior research fellow at Institute of West Asian and African Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
GT: At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on September 5, 2024, President Xi Jinping proposed elevating bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterization of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. In your view, how to understand this latest elevation?
He: The development of contemporary China-Africa relations has followed a path of fighting side by side against imperialism and colonialism, striving for national independence and liberation. Over time, China-Africa relations have been upgraded from “a model for a new kind of international partnership” to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” and now to the “all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.” This continuous elevation in overall positioning is both an inevitable choice to strengthen South-South cooperation and a natural trend in the deepening of China-Africa relations.
In March 2013, shortly after the conclusion of China’s two sessions, President Xi embarked on a visit to Africa, traveling to South Africa, Tanzania, and the Republic of Congo, during which he proposed the concept of a China-Africa community of shared future. In a speech in Tanzania, President Xi highlighted the four principles of “sincerity, real results, amity and good faith” as the basic guiding philosophy for the long-term and stable development of China-Africa relations. The Chinese leader has repeatedly emphasized during visits to Africa that China’s Africa policy, especially in economic and trade cooperation, must take a right approach of upholding justice and pursuing shared interests.
As China-Africa cooperation has advanced, the practice of building a China-Africa community of shared future has continuously evolved. The two sides have formulated a series of practical initiatives, including 10 partnership action plans, eight major initiatives and nine programs, covering economic, social, cultural, and security fields.
In 2024, President Xi proposed elevating China’s bilateral relations with all African countries with diplomatic ties to the level of strategic relations and raising the overall positioning of China-Africa relations to all-weather China-Africa community of shared future for the new era. Elevating bilateral relations to the strategic level underscores Africa’s increasing importance in China’s diplomacy, highlighting its strategic significance. Developing countries have long been considered a key foundation of China’s foreign policy, and Africa represents the “foundation of the foundation.” The continuously increasing strategic significance of China-Africa cooperation applies not only to major powers in China-Africa relations but also to all African countries with diplomatic ties to China, reflecting China’s longstanding principle of treating all countries equally, regardless of size.
Raising the overall positioning of China-Africa relations to all-weather China-Africa community of shared future for the new era demonstrates the resilience and stability of the partnership and sets a clear direction for its development. The “all-weather” characterization highlights that China-Africa relations are firm and stable, unaffected by temporary incidents or changes in the international situation, and cannot be disrupted by external forces seeking to sow discord. China views the overall development of China-Africa relations from a strategic perspective, while through collective dialogue mechanisms such as FOCAC, the two sides continuously introduce new cooperation initiatives and areas adapted to the times. Moreover, the guiding role of heads of state in China-Africa cooperation has become increasingly prominent. Summits at the leadership level allow planning the development blueprint of China-Africa cooperation from a higher and longer-term perspective, serving an important role in guiding the direction of the partnership.
GT: In Volume V of the book Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, President Xi pointed out that “China and Africa’s joint pursuit of modernization will set off a wave of modernization in the Global South, and open a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for humanity.” What is the significance and importance of China and Africa jointly pursuing modernization? Drawing on the six features of China-Africa joint pursuit of modernization that the leader outlined, how do you think Chinese modernization and African modernization can learn from each other and advance together?
He: In his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summit the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi proposed that China and Africa should jointly advance modernization characterized by six features, namely: just and equitable modernization, open and win-win modernization, modernization that puts the people first, modernization featuring diversity and inclusiveness, eco-friendly modernization, and modernization underpinned by peace and security.
These six features not only respond to Africa’s urgent needs and aspirations for modernization but are also closely aligned with the connotations and characteristics of Chinese modernization. Furthermore, they complement the content of China’s four major global initiatives.
Therefore, Global South nations are eagerly hoping that the existing international political and economic order and global governance system can reflect respect for their development opportunities and development rights. Since the Western path to modernization cannot and should not be replicated, countries of the Global South need to explore and identify modernization paths that suit their own national conditions while following the general laws of modernization. Over the past 40-plus years, China has accumulated extensive experience in reform, opening-up, and governance through a “crossing the river by feeling for the stones” approach, achieving remarkable development results recognized worldwide. China is willing to strengthen exchanges on governance experiences with African countries and jointly advance toward modernization.
China-Africa cooperation has never been closed or exclusive, nor is it directed against any third party. China has never regarded Africa as its “sphere of influence.” China has consistently maintained that Africa should be a grand stage for international cooperation, not an arena for great-power rivalry. China is willing to actively promote trilateral or multilateral cooperation with Africa to play a constructive role in advancing peace and development on the continent. The joint pursuit of modernization between China and Africa is always based on and aimed at “mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.”
According to a report released by the Chinese government on August 29, 2024 on the development results of Belt and Road cooperation between China and African countries, Chinese enterprises have so far participated in the construction and upgrading of over 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, nearly 1,000 bridges, close to 100 ports, 66,000 kilometers of power transmission lines, and 150,000 kilometers of backbone communications networks across African countries.
In terms of poverty alleviation and improving livelihoods, as of the end of June 2024, China has provided aid funds to 53 African countries and implemented a series of projects in areas such as food security, water supply, maternal and child health, and education, benefiting over 10 million people. Looking ahead, China is willing to deepen cooperation with African countries in industry, agriculture, infrastructure, trade, and investment, setting a benchmark for high-quality BRI.
GT: As the largest developing country and the continent with the highest concentration of developing countries, China and Africa share a common history of anti-colonialism and anti-hegemony, as well as a shared mission of development and revitalization. They are natural members and key forces of the Global South. In your view, what significance does the China-Africa community of shared future have for the development and revitalization of the Global South, and for helping the Global South play a greater role in global governance reforms?
He: China is the largest developing country, and Africa is the continent with the highest concentration of developing countries. Their similar historical experiences and shared historical missions closely connect China and Africa. As an important force of the Global South, China and Africa have long maintained close collaboration in international affairs, jointly safeguarding the interests and development space of emerging markets and developing countries.
In promoting reforms of the global governance system, China and Africa have been important partners. The formal inclusion of the African Union as a member of the G20 is a result that China first proposed and has continuously promoted. Within the BRICS cooperation mechanism, China, during its term as the rotating chair, facilitated South Africa’s accession; recently, the mechanism further expanded with the inclusion of Egypt and Ethiopia, reflecting the shared aspirations of emerging markets and developing countries.
In its host-country diplomacy, China actively invites many African countries to participate as dialogue partners, creating more opportunities for Africa to express concerns and showcase demands on multilateral platforms. At the same time, China also speaks for the common interests of the broader developing world in international affairs.
In the face of a world of intertwined crises, China and Africa uphold the just positions of developing countries, translating shared demands and common interests into joint action, safeguarding international fairness and justice, and improving the global governance system. Together, they set an example for unity and cooperation within the Global South.
GT: Over the past 25 years, how has the FOCAC played a unique role in promoting political trust, economic and trade cooperation, and civilizational exchange between China and Africa? Which of its experiences have replicable global significance? As the international situation grows more complex, what significance does China-Africa cooperation hold for reforming and improving global governance? How will FOCAC continue to innovate its mechanisms in the future?
He: The FOCAC is an international platform for collective dialogue that has continuously evolved with the times. Each meeting launches an action plan, with priorities tailored to the circumstances. For instance, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dakar meeting in Senegal placed health and sanitation issues first; last year’s meeting prioritized governance experience, discussing ways to enhance policy and management capacity. China’s experience responds to Africa’s needs—under a historical backdrop of heavy Western intervention, African countries have seen that an Eastern country also offers governance wisdom, providing new references for Africa through China’s practices.
Each FOCAC session reflects innovation. For example, last year’s proposals made the exchange of governance experience a primary agenda item, marking a breakthrough beyond the traditional focus on economic and trade cooperation. Today, cooperation has extended into the institutional and political sphere, inviting African political party representatives to China for exchanges and discussions on governance experience, while also promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Moreover, FOCAC encompasses not only leaders’ meetings but has expanded to include the China-Africa Business Conference, China-Africa People’s Forum, and China-Africa Think Tanks Forum. In fact, multiple specialized meetings have emerged around FOCAC, such as the China-Africa Women’s Forum, China-Africa Young Leaders’ Forum, and China-Africa Educational Cooperation Seminar. These represent concrete examples of innovation in mechanism.
Source: Global Times:
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