As prominent members of the Global South, China and African nations have a historic responsibility to uphold peace and promote common development against a backdrop of intertwined challenges and opportunities. Over 100 scholars hailing from China and about 50 African nations reviewed decades of China-Africa cooperation, discussed future paths for global development, and adopted the Dar es Salaam Consensus during the 13th China-Africa Think Tanks Forum in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 8 March.
The consensus outlines eight key initiatives, emphasising priorities such as high-quality sustainable development, endogenous development, inclusive economic globalisation, multilateralism, reform of the international financial system, comprehensive security cooperation and sharing of development knowledge.
The unveiling of the consensus underscores the deep desire of China and African countries to enhance both China-Africa and South-South cooperation, and reflects their unified stance on international affairs. This alignment is also in sync with the broader goals of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
The countries of the Global South face many challenges in their quest for development, often marginalised within the global economic and political framework and hampered by inequitable terms of trade, lack of investment, restrictions on technology transfer and environmental pressures. As a result, these countries are vulnerable to international financial market volatility, which leads to capital flight, currency depreciation and debt crises, all of which exacerbate their development challenges.
The consensus endorses the principle of development primacy and places development at the centre of international cooperation. It calls on the Global South countries to increase their self-reliance, diversify their economies and contribute to a new equitable and mutually supportive global political-economic architecture. This strategy will enable these countries to better withstand external shocks and achieve sustainable socioeconomic growth.
Innovative cooperation models
China-Africa cooperation is an example of this principle in action, paving the way for innovative South-South cooperation models. This cooperation spans various fields including infrastructure construction, agricultural modernisation, health care, education, and cultural exchange. For example, Chinese-initiated railways and road projects in Africa have not only improved transportation, but also spurred local industrialisation and urbanisation. The Mombasa-Nairobi railway, built by a Chinese company, has reduced freight transit times and boosted economic growth and job creation along its route, illustrating the key role of infrastructure development in regional economic integration.
The consensus is underpinned by the spirit of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. This ethos ensures that cooperation not only serves the interests of individual countries, but also generates collective benefits. It emphasises the importance of equitable cooperation in economic globalisation, advocating stronger global economic governance, reduced trade barriers, more resilient production and supply chains, and support for African countries to upgrade their industrial and agricultural sectors.
In addition, knowledge sharing between China and Africa is enhancing mutual understanding and deepening their partnership. Both regions face common economic, social and environmental challenges; sharing knowledge and experience allows them to jointly develop effective solutions, enhance problem-solving efficiency and promote common development.
The development-oriented and mutually beneficial approaches promoted by the consensus offer new theoretical and practical frameworks for China-Africa cooperation, as well as cooperation in the wider Global South, and highlight the potential of South-South cooperation to drive global development and prosperity. As the consensus gains traction, it is expected to strengthen the role of the Global South on the world stage and contribute significantly to the achievement of global sustainable development goals.
The author is Assistant Research Fellow of Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University. African Times has published this article in partnership with ChinAfrica Magazine
