China and Africa: Close partners to achieve modernisation

Joining hands to advance modernisation and build a community of a shared future was the key theme of the 2024 Summit of China-Africa Cooperation Forum (FOCAC), which was recently concluded in Beijing and attended by leaders from China and 53 African countries.

As President Xi Jinping pointed out in his keynote address at the opening of the summit, “modernisation is an inalienable right of all countries. China and Africa account for one-third of the world population. Without our modernisation, there will be no global modernisation."

As developing nations, China and African countries shoulder the same task of national development, and it’s only natural and important for them to support each other in achieving the goal of modernisation.

Collaboration

That was also a key message of the summit.

Specifically, President Xi proposed that China will work with Africa to take ten partnership actions for modernisation to deepen China-Africa cooperation and spearhead the modernisation of the Global South, covering areas of mutual learning among civilisations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, health, agriculture and livelihoods, people-to-people exchanges, green development, and common security.

A series of concrete measures will be adopted by China to implement the above partnerships, such as providing RMB 360 billion yuan of financial support over the next three years, which breaks down into RMB 210 billion yuan of credit lines, RMB 80 billion yuan of assistance in various forms, and at least RMB 70 billion yuan of investment in Africa by Chinese companies. Also, China will encourage and support Africa in issuing panda bonds in China to enhance our result-orientated cooperation in all areas.

China, through more than 46 years of opening up and reform, has accumulated valuable experience in pursuing a Chinese path of modernisation. China is embarking on the new march of national development as the Third Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China, held in July, has laid out systematic plans for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernisation.

We would like to share with our African friends what we have learnt in advancing our social and economic development. The greatest lesson of ours is that in promoting modernisation, we should not only follow the general rules, but also act in light of our national realities.

Sharing knowledge and experience

We have no intention of exporting our model of development, but we are keen to tell our African friends what we know once approached for advice. We will pay special attention to putting the people first in working with African countries on the way to realising modernisation.

That’s why we pledge to implement 1 000 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects, build about 6 670 hectares of standardised agriculture demonstration areas in Africa, send 500 agricultural experts and establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance. We will also implement 500 programmes in Africa to promote community welfare, encourage two-way investment for new business operations by Chinese and African companies so as to enable Africa to retain added value, and create at least one million jobs for Africa.

We will advance the Future of Africa—Vocational Education Cooperation Plan and provide 60 000 training opportunities to Africa, mainly for women and youths.

Ever since 2000, the FOCAC has proved to provide a critical platform for advancing mutually beneficial China-Africa cooperation and the profound traditional friendship between the Chinese and African peoples.

Facts told us that China and Africa are true friends and reliable development partners. We always empathise with and support each other, setting a stellar example of a new type of international relations. Guided by the great outcome of the summit, China-Africa relations will prosper forever in building the all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

We highly appreciate the contribution of Namibia to the success of the summit with the attendance of His Excellency President Nangolo Mbumba, which also marked another milestone in China-Namibia relations. During the summit, President Xi and President Mbumba held a successful bilateral meeting, having reached important consensus on pushing forward the China-Namibia Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership.

I am sure China-Namibia cooperation will be vigorously deepened in extensive areas and bring more tangible benefits to our two peoples.

*Zhao Weiping is the Chinese ambassador to Namibia.