The new Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is set to be held on 4-6 September, which will outline the measures of China-Africa cooperation in the next three years and beyond. Before this event, on 15 August, a seminar themed The Governance of China: Forging a Closer China-Africa Community of Shared Future was held in Pretoria, South Africa, by CICG Centre for Europe and Africa, which was attended by more than 70 participants, including South African and Chinese scholars, officials, professors and journalists. Excerpted views of the speakers at the seminar follow:
Mutual Understanding Is Important for China-Africa Community of Shared Future
Botshabelo Maja, Deputy Director General, National School of Government, South Africa.
China has achieved great success in its economic development. But I am more interested in the Chinese culture and identity. I respect China and what China has been able to do over the past decades. I have all the four volumes of the book Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. The book can help me better understand China.
When you read this book and understand Xi Jinping’s thinking on the governance of China, you can only have respect for what China has been able to put in place and achieve over the decades and where that country is today. Chinese success in its development lies in its culture and identity. The sooner we understand and appreciate Chinese culture and Chinese identity, the better we will be able to appreciate their achievements.
I want to propose three things that I think could be critical in assisting us to build this community of shared future. The first is that before we go anywhere as African people, we must first spend some time to introspect and define who we are. Chinese and African peoples should learn more about each other, and understand each other better. You cannot build such a community with someone you don’t understand, or when you yourself have no clue what you want to achieve.
The second element for us to build a China-Africa community of shared future has to do with us, as Africans, defining our own developmental projects. In this aspect, China has clear development goals and targets. African countries should also do the same. Africa has rich resources like rivers, mountains and minerals. This can be used for our development.
My last point in terms of building a China-Africa community of shared future is that only when those two elements – defining who we are and finding our own developmental trajectory – are realised can we achieve the Africa we want in the context of FOCAC.
Chinese Modernisation Can Lend Experience to Global South
Gert Grobler, Senior Diplomat and former South African Ambassador to Spain, Japan and Madagascar
Based on its “people first” approach, hard work, innovation, reform and opening up under the able leadership of the Communist Party of China, China has embarked on a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and achieved remarkable outcomes by creating a “moderately prosperous society.” China has also eliminated absolute poverty throughout the whole country, which is generally regarded as a miracle of development and is unmatched worldwide.
In fact, a large number of countries in the Global South are increasingly expressing confidence that China’s modernisation approach could contribute to enhanced governance, development opportunities and options for innovation in their own countries. This is an integral part of China’s foreign policy, that is to deepen Global South cooperation, promote North-South dialogue, prioritise development, form synergy among development strategies, and foster new quality productive forces, so as to improve FOCAC and promote the building of a community of shared future for mankind.
The World Bank has recently described the establishment of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a “game changer” which will create a single, continent-wide market that unites 54 countries with a combined population of 1.3 billion and GDP of $3.4 trillion.
The implementation of the AfCFTA agreement is a complex and highly collaborative undertaking, which requires Africa to draw on the expertise and experience of, among others, its international partners. Africa has therefore warmly welcomed China to actively participate in the development of the AfCFTA and provide continued support to the secretariat of the AfCFTA towards the full implementation of this important initiative.
Let me say something about Africa-US cooperation. Despite feeble efforts by the Biden administration to strengthen relations with Africa, after the disastrous Trump era, the US has still not clearly defined a coherent plan and focused partnership with Africa. Although Vice-President Kamala Harris completed a three-nation trip to Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia in 2023, Biden’s first presidential visit to the continent is yet to take place and is a source of frustration to Africa, in contrast with the frequent China-Africa high-level visits.
New Quality Productive Forces Expand New Channels for China-Africa Cooperation
David Monyae, Director, Centre for Africa-China Studies, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
First introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2023 during his tour of China’s Heilongjiang Province, “new quality productive forces” signify China’s departure from the traditional growth model that relies on heavy industry and the sheer size of cheap labour, to a new model centred on innovation, research and development, and the production of advanced technology.
For example, China’s policy focusing on improving China’s capacity to produce high-quality products more efficiently has seen the country become a world leader in the production of clean energy technologies such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar panels. China produces about 80 percent of the world’s supply of solar panels and two thirds of electric vehicles and wind turbines. The clean energy sector reportedly added about $1.6 trillion to the Chinese economy in 2023, accounting for 40 percent of the GDP growth.
Mutual Trust Is Important Foundation for China-Africa Relations
Bongani Mayimele, Director, International Relations and Partnerships, National School of Government, South Africa
Africa and China enjoy mutual friendship founded on shared history and a desire for shared prosperity. Our common aspirations for development, peaceful coexistence, and prosperity based on Africa’s Ubuntu and China’s Confucianism shape our respective foreign policies.
Our common future is peaceful coexistence and common prosperity. Why China-Africa relations matter? We engage as equals despite China being the second-biggest economy in the world. All African countries and China are developing countries.
Our relationship with China is based on five C’s, which are commonality, consistency, complementarity, convergence and consensus. And this is what makes China-Africa relations so special. Mutual trust is also an aspect that shapes this relationship, and there is no place for colonialism or hegemony.
China and Africa need to form a close relationship for sustainable development, to influence the discourse on development. Development has to be about economy, about the distribution of resources, and about the people. We need to increase partnerships for development.
We need to put more impetus on the Global Development Initiative and put more impetus on the Global Civilisation Initiative, because these global initiatives let us use our own language and our own knowledge in order to advance our own development.
China-Africa Community of Shared Future Enhances Mutual Understanding
Edith Phaswana, Director of Graduate Academic Programmes, Thabo Mbeki School, University of South Africa
The idea of a community of shared future for mankind is deeply rooted in the Belt and Road Initiative, which was put forward by China, and this is China’s vision for a harmonious, interconnected world where all nations and people co-exist and prosper together. As Africans, we come from a troubled history and we do know our identities as Africa. We are aware of our developmental challenges and we do want to self-determine.
China came up with a very good concept of a community of shared future. It’s a shared future of interconnectedness, mutual benefit, inclusivity, sustainability and global governance.
And as Africans, we embrace them. Very beautiful. Higher education has the potential to foster mutual understanding because the educational exchanges have the potential of promoting cultural understanding, dispel misconception and build mutual trust between Chinese and African peoples.
Development of human capital is another topic that I want to talk about. Many African students are now studying in China, and I’ve seen Chinese students on this continent, especially here in South Africa. I’ve seen them in our universities coming to study. Some of them can even speak Zulu. They’re there to study Zulu and that is the kind of human capital that we can use to build together a community of shared future.
Chinese and African Development Plans Support Each Other
Ayanda Hollow, President, TV BRICS Africa Channel, South Africa
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 envisions an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa, driven by its citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena. This agenda includes goals such as inclusive growth, sustainable development, and an Africa with a strong cultural identity and shared values.
Similarly, the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, which was put forward under the framework of FOCAC, outlines sincere goals across multiple sectors to enhance the partnership between China and Africa. Its first three-year plan addresses critical issues such as health, poverty, trade, investment, digital innovation, green development, capacity building, cultural exchanges, and security.
This vision led by President Xi Jinping articulates a comprehensive approach to deepening ties between China and Africa, focusing on mutual benefit and shared growth.
South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030 is a roadmap for eliminating poverty and reducing inequality by 2030. It emphasises inclusive growth, better education, increased employment opportunities, and improved health care, aiming to transform the economy and create broad-based economic growth that benefits all South Africans.
South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030, the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 are complementary frameworks that aim to promote sustainable development, peace, and prosperity across the African continent. All these initiatives share common goals and strategies reinforcing mutual support between China and Africa. They emphasise economic growth, infrastructure development, and peace and security, all vital to achieving their shared vision of a brighter future for Africa.
Sustainable Development Is Core of FOCAC
Kirtan Bhana, Director, the Diplomatic Society, South Africa
The 2024 FOCAC summit in Beijing offers a unique opportunity to address challenges and set a new trajectory for the future of Africa-China cooperation. As the forum nears its 25th anniversary, it is time to revisit its goals and objectives, and to ensure that it remains fit for purpose in a rapidly changing global landscape.
One of the key themes of the 2024 summit will be the alignment of FOCAC with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative. These initiatives offer a framework for addressing the common challenges facing Africa and China, such as poverty, inequality, and climate change, and provide a basis for deeper cooperation in areas such as industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, and talent cultivation.
To accelerate the integration of the African continent, the summit is expected to focus on enhancing regional cooperation and removing the bottlenecks that have hindered progress in the past. This includes addressing issues such as the lack of infrastructure and connectivity, which have been major barriers to trade and investment. By working together to build state-of-the-art infrastructure and logistics networks, Africa and China can unlock the continent’s vast potential and create new opportunities for economic growth and development.
Sustainable development should be at the heart of the FOCAC agenda, with a focus on promoting green growth, digital innovation, and social inclusion. The summit should prioritise initiatives that align with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and that contribute to the long-term prosperity of both Africa and China.
FOCAC Is Making Contributions to Africa’s Development
Qin Xiaoshun, Professor, University of South Africa
Since its establishment, FOCAC has been playing an active role in promoting development on both sides. It has made contributions in terms of political mutual trust, economic and trade relations, infrastructure projects, free trade zones and special economic zones, cooperation in agriculture, renewable energy, high technology, and finance, as well as training and people-to-people exchanges.
China has helped to build or upgrade hundreds of schools in Africa and invited tens of thousands of high-end African talents to participate in training and seminars. China will continue to cooperate with African countries to set up Luban Workshops and encourage Chinese companies in Africa to provide no less than 1 million jobs for local people.
The world today is undergoing a major change unseen in a century. The Global South represented by China and African countries is booming, profoundly influencing the process of the world history. I hope that China and Africa will take the 2024 FOCAC summit as an opportunity to further deepen solidarity and cooperation, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, jointly advocate an equal and orderly world, gather more consensus on jointly promoting modernisation and build a high-level China-Africa community of shared future.
High-Level China-Africa Visits Have Become More Frequent
Ni Yanshuo, Chief Reporter, South Africa Bureau, CICG Centre for Europe and Africa
Recent years have seen frequent people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa, as well as high-level exchange visits. Last year when the BRICS summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping and many other African state leaders met in South Africa, pledging to further intensify bilateral and multilateral cooperation for common prosperity. This year, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and many other African state leaders will visit China to discuss and promote closer cooperation in all aspects during the FOCAC summit in September. It is expected that new measures for China-Africa cooperation for the next three years and beyond will be released at the summit. Next year, the G20 summit will be held in South Africa. At that time, it will be another important event for China and South Africa to further increase cooperation channels.
One of the most important features of China-Africa cooperation is that all the commitments made at FOCAC meetings can be realised. After the FOCAC mechanism was founded in 2000, China immediately established a follow-up committee. This committee regularly reviews the progress of FOCAC outcomes to make sure that all the policies and measures put forward at FOCAC meetings can be implemented and achieve intended results.
China-Africa cooperation is driven by the demands of the African countries. To support the realisation of the AU’s Agenda 2063, China put forward 10 major cooperation plans, eight major initiatives and nine programmes in close collaboration with African countries at the FOCAC meetings in 2015, 2018 and 2021, respectively. So far, all these measures have been fully implemented and achieved intended results.
African countries are moving forward on the path towards modernisation, and China has been providing strong support on this journey as a trusted companion. At the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will launch the Initiative on Supporting Africa’s Industrialisation, the Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernisation and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. These three initiatives cover all the important areas African countries urgently need to develop, which demonstrates China’s sincerity and faith in supporting African countries’ development with its actions, and forging a closer China-Africa community of shared future. These initiatives are in the process of implementation.
African Times published this article in partnership with ChinAfrica Magazine
