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 17th article of the "Readers' Reflections" column, Global Times reporter Li Xuanmin talked to Yoro Diallo, 2024 Recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award, former first counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Mali to Beijing and senior researcher and executive director of the Centre for Francophone Studies at Zhejiang Normal University. He offered an in-depth analysis of the significant reference value that Chinese modernization holds for Africa, and explored how China-Africa cooperation, an example of South-South cooperation, is contributing to the creation of a fairer and more inclusive global governance system.
GT: Congratulations on being awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award in 2024. The friendship between China and Africa truly runs deep and spans generations, and could you share a story from your memory that most vividly captures the spirit of China-Africa friendship and people-to-people exchanges?
Diallo: I would describe the traditional friendship between China and Africa as both profound and enduring—a bond I personally witnessed during my childhood, when I first encountered the Chinese doctors of the medical team dispatched to Africa at the hospital in my hometown. When I went to school, I would pass by that hospital and often see the Chinese doctors in their white coats walking together from their dormitory to the hospital for work. Once, my mother suddenly fell ill and her condition was very critical. My family took her to many hospitals, large and small, but the situation didn't turn better. Clinging to a last thread of hope, we took her to the Chinese doctors for treatment, and after a few months of treatment, she completely recovered. From that moment on, in my heart, China was no longer a distant land and it became a place filled with warmth and strength.
I came to China the first time in 2000 and attended the First Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Since 2000, I have personally witnessed China's remarkable transformation: after joining the WTO, the country has witnessed rapid growth, successfully integrated into the global economy, and become a powerful engine for global growth. An increasing number of multinational companies have taken root here, turning this vibrant land into an indispensable market for the world. And this is how I feel more profoundly that under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the great ship of China is steadfastly sailing toward national rejuvenation, allowing the Chinese people to live a better life.
In 2024, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, I was deeply honored to receive the Chinese Government Friendship Award. For me, this is not only a great honor but also a tremendous encouragement, inspiring me to continue sharing with the world the true story of China and the enduring friendship between China and Africa.
GT: In a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that "I propose that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall positioning of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era." The main part of the speech is included in the article "China-Africa Partnership in Pursuit of Modernization" in Volume V of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China." From your perspective, what are the core connotations of this positioning of "an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era," and what guiding significance does it hold for China-Africa cooperation?
Diallo: The friendship between China and Africa is profound and time-honored, not only rooted in the deep historical bonds forged through long-standing people-to-people exchanges, but also flourished through the fruitful pragmatic bilateral cooperation in the new era. Since the establishment of the FOCAC, China and Africa have cooperated on building or upgrading nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads and more than 10,000 kilometers of railways across Africa. Today in Mali, we have the Mali Hospital - one of the largest hospitals in the capital of Bamako- that was built with Chinese assistance. It is precisely because of China's selfless support and the deep cooperation between our two countries that Bamako has developed into a relatively modern capital city, endowed with the scale and vitality it enjoys today.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the FOCAC. Over the past 25 years, China-Africa relations have been advancing rapidly, upgrading from a "new type of partnership" to a "new type of strategic partnership," then to a "comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership," and to an "all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era." This remarkable "four-level leap" in the positioning of bilateral relations fully reflects the unwavering commitment of Chinese leaders to the development of Africa. It will continue to lead China-Africa cooperation to a new level and deliver tangible benefits that help African people achieve more aspirations for developments. Behind these visible figures and projects lies a guiding principle that carries global significance: "to ensure that no country and no people are left behind on the path of development." This is truly a vivid embodiment of the vision to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
GT: In the article "China-Africa Partnership in Pursuit of Modernization," Xi said that "Africa, for its part, is experiencing a new awakening. The continent is marching in solid strides towards the modernization goals set forth in the African Union's Agenda 2063. 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 specific lessons can African countries draw from Chinese modernization experience? And as China and Africa join hands to advance their modernization, what exemplary role and strategic significance does this partnership hold for Global South cooperation and the broader international development landscape?
Diallo: In 2017, I was invited to join the Zhejiang Normal University as senior researcher and executive director of the Centre for Francophone Studies. During my work in Zhejiang, I have had many opportunities to visit China's rural areas, enterprises, schools, universities, and grass-roots governments, to deeply understand the internal logic and value concept behind China's development path and successful model, the CPC's governance and capacity building, as well as its core commitment to "putting the people first." These visits have left an extremely deep impression on me. And I have come to a profound realization that Chinese modernization is the "broad avenue" defined by independence, self-reliance and standing on one's own feet, which aimed at enabling more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to lead better lives. Every country must choose its own path to modernization based on its own history, culture, and the fundamental interests of its people. In such a context, the most distinctive feature of Chinese modernization is that it fully aligns with China's national conditions—and it is precisely for this reason that, in just a few decades since reform and opening-up, China has transformed itself to the world's second-largest economy.
In the African Union's Agenda 2063, the African people have expressed a strong aspiration for shared prosperity and improved well-being, with a vision of "an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena." Therefore, the Chinese modernization model which "follows its own path," has greatly inspired the people of Africa. It has set a powerful example for other developing countries, especially Africa, that a nation must keep their own development path and national rejuvenation in their own hands. Precisely for this reason, the experience of Chinese modernization not only charts a broad and pragmatic course for China-Africa cooperation, but also enables an increasing number of African countries to accelerate their development and truly realize their own African dream.
China is the world's largest developing country, and Africa is the continent with the greatest concentration of developing nations. As China and Africa join hands to advance modernization and build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, this partnership will profoundly shape the global path to modernization, accelerate the transformation of the world order, and inject powerful impetus into the global cause of peace and justice for humanity.
The tremendous achievements of Chinese modernization in poverty alleviation, rural revitalization, and common prosperity are precisely the experiences that African countries need most. Taking poverty alleviation as an example, China has completed the arduous task of eliminating absolute poverty, forging a uniquely Chinese path to poverty reduction. Since the reform and opening-up, China has lifted 770 million rural poor people out of poverty. And according to the World Bank's international poverty standard, China's contribution to poverty reduction accounts for over 70 percent of the total global reduction during the same period.
The core philosophy of China's poverty alleviation experience can be summed up in the ancient saying: "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"- rather than simply handing out money or goods to those in poverty, the focus is on equipping them with skills to prosper and fostering their own endogenous drive. Today, cooperation in poverty reduction stands at an important place in China-African relations, and the development of poverty alleviation-oriented basic infrastructure and people-centered initiatives—such as strengthening public health systems and enhancing local capacity building —have emerged as key areas of China-Africa cooperation.
GT: In the context of rising anti-globalization sentiments and hegemonism, could you share your thought on how China-Africa cooperation is helping to break free from the traditional Western-dominated system and contribute to building a fairer and more inclusive global governance framework for the Global South?
Diallo: When we talk about globalization, the globalization dominated by the Western countries only benefits the West. This is why when we talk about globalization, the international community widely recognizes that the multilateral approach proposed by China is the one that benefits all humankind. The Western modernization was built with external expansion and plunder, sacrificing the legitimate development rights of many countries around the world. Even today, these powers still attempt, through various means, to maintain their hegemony and dominate the global order. In contrast, throughout history, China and Africa—two great cradles of human civilization—have profoundly shaped the course of human progress through outstanding knowledge, exquisite craftsmanship, and deep humanistic spirit. Neither has ever written its own historical chapter through barbarism, conquest, or the exploitation of other peoples.
The China-Africa partnership serves as a powerful lever for global South-South cooperation, embodying both profound historical depth and immense contemporary value. Amid the interwoven multiple crises facing the world today, we bear a shared responsibility: to ensure that the right to development of every country and every citizen is fully realized. At this critical juncture, the four major global initiatives put forward by China — the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative — are guiding the international order toward a more just and equitable direction, delivering tangible opportunities to the entire Global South. It is no exaggeration to say that the new governance architecture championed by China is giving all Global South countries the equal development opportunities. In this process, China and Africa are fully capable of standing shoulder to shoulder and becoming a key force in promoting the realization of the global right to development, injecting strong new momentum into world peace and prosperity.
Source: Global Times:
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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