As Beijing bustled with high level delegations from the African continent and their partners from China, one could not help but marvel at the optimism emerging from the Forum for Africa China Cooperation (FOCAC). The triennial Summit, held from September 4 to 6, 2024, was attended by delegations from China, 53 heads of states and government, their ministers of foreign affairs, and of economic cooperation amongst others, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
The FOCAC was launched in 2000 following more than 70 years of evolving cordial bilateral and multilateral relations between first, China and liberation movements, and later, independent African states, and the African Union (AU). In the context of widely reported discontent amongst African leaders and their citizens with unfulfilled promises and historically exploitative ties with Western countries, the FOCAC and other initiatives led by China are redefining multilateral international relations towards mutually beneficial cooperation, chatting a pro-Africa development path.
China, now the second largest global economy, has become a major source of inspiration and support in addressing continental and international challenges. Until a few decades ago, one of the poorest countries in the world, China has emerged as a world leader in poverty reduction, contributing to nearly 75% of the global extreme poverty reduction between 1981 and 2017, lifting 770 million people out of poverty since 1978, running double digit GDP growth to contribute to rising global GDP for several decades. Most importantly, China has taken its modernization to the world, seeking to share both its resources, experiences, and ideas, to help other nations and civilizations, without exclusively imposing the Chinese way.
Since the past 24 years, FOCAC has become a platform where leaders from Africa meet with their Chinese counterparts to formulate the agenda, policies, and strategies to strengthen their relationship for the next three years. The theme of the 2024 FOCAC summit, “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” acknowledges the progress made in relations between both parties, and the need for robust dynamic actions and ideas to cooperatively confront multifaceted future challenges to foster mutually beneficial relations, chatting a pro-Africa, and pro-Global South path of development.
While China and Africa have demonstrated deep commitment to chart a defining path of development, like in any relationship, challenges will always emerge. But, that the 2024 FOCAC Summit was able to navigate some of the delicate issues such as the growing debt conundrum in Africa or what Western critics define as debt trap diplomacy and issues around balance of trade attests not only to growing robust bilateral and multilateral relations, but growing mutual trust in fostering a development path in which African countries are finding their voice and feet to draw unconditional help in gradually addressing their domestic challenges.
China committed a staggering US$51.4 billion for lending and investment to a continent struggling to generate finance and new investment, confounding many sceptics who had suggested that Beijing could cut lending to the continent. President Xi said that China will provide new credit lines to African countries, and, finance to Chinese companies investing in Africa, while making provisions for various types of support to enhance China-Africa cooperation across a wide range of sectors in a manner that ensures practical results. China also pledged to boost trade, provide zero-tariff treatment to the least developed African countries, and generate over one million jobs in Africa. Furthermore, Beijing expanded trade opportunities, while elevating bilateral relations with all African countries having diplomatic ties with China to the level of strategic relations, and, all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
Crucially both parties committed themselves to accelerating regional integration and development in Africa. Africa and China will work together to drive the implementation of the First Ten Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, and, to strengthen cooperation in the priority areas of the Second Ten Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063. Intra-continental infrastructure development, technological innovation, availability of finance, knowledge production and sharing are crucial for the realisation of domestic and continental socio-economic transformation goals espoused in the AU Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The AfCFTA is a high ambition trade agreement which aims to progressively bring together all 55 member states of the African Union, covering a market of more than 1.3 billion people, while allowing intra-continental free movement of people, goods, and services to boost intra- continental and international trade and economic development.
There is no doubt that African national and continental modernization will depend on rapid infrastructure development, the availability of efficacious technologies, shared knowledge or social capital, access to finance and diversified mutually beneficial trade with continental partners. And of course, the availability of these resources will require efficient governance on the part of African leaders to mitigate unnecessary misuse outside of national and continental development goals and the willingness of external partners to foster mutually beneficial cooperation.
In his key note address to the FOCAC Summit, President Xi Jinping said that China-Africa cooperation seek to jointly advance just, equitable, open, win-win and mutually beneficial modernization that puts the people first. He described China Africa cooperation as characterised by diversity and inclusivity, being eco-friendly, and, underpinned by stability, peace, and security.
In his six-point proposal, President Xi highlighted a shared vision for a cooperative future that aligns with the interests of both China and Africa in pursuing sustainable inclusive growth and development. The two major outcomes of the FOCAC Summit, the “Beijing Declaration” and “Partnership Action” underscore major efforts towards creating mutually beneficial path of development through consolidating the growing ties and political consensus, while expanding trade opportunities with China and cooperation across various socio-economic, diplomatic, and political domains.
The FOCAC summit also unveiled a comprehensive three-year plan to enhance China-Africa partnership in critical areas, such as trade, industrial collaboration, infrastructure, agriculture, public health, and green development. Both parties adopted the 10-point Partnership Action, a blue print for China Africa cooperation in the next three years geared towards mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, health, agriculture and livelihoods, green development, people-to-people exchanges and common security. The Partnership Action, will extend cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the AU Agenda 2063, prioritizing infrastructure and connectivity, investment, industrial and supply chain cooperation, as well as science, technology cooperation and knowledge sharing.
China has been leading the call for a fairer and just global system resonating with Africa’s aspirations and interests for equal multilateral participation, representation, and mutually beneficial relations. Chinese led initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the BRICS+, the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), emphasize the need for partners to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity, promote global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits as the basis for building a new type of international relations. Conversations within the frameworks of these initiatives have amplified collective voices from Africa and the Global South for a fairer multilateral system resonating with their development interests,
In 70 years of growing China-Africa cooperation, and 24 years since the FOCAC was launched, we are on the cusp of a new development path focussed on integrating the historical interests and needs of Africans in multilateral cooperation. While critics have viewed China-Africa relations as a passing phase, or in the extreme, suggested that Beijing benefits more than Africa, the outcome of the FOCAC 2024, and the progress made so far indicates robust progress and flexibility to advance people centred, mutually beneficial cooperation.
Dr Gideon Chitanga is a Post Doc Research Fellow at the Centre for Africa China Studies, University of Johannesburg