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Gibson Nyikadzino, Herald Correspondent
The 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit recently held in Beijing, under the theme, “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future” promotes cooperation between the two sides in many fields, including politics, economy and culture.
This is the second time that Chinese and African leaders met in China after the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit.
Since its establishment in 2000, the FOCAC has become an important platform connecting Africa and China.
African countries have benefitted from developmental opportunities ushered in by the summit, laying a solid foundation for long-term cooperation between the two sides.
The summit was also a bridge for China and Africa to stabilise complementarity and mutual assistance capitalising on the differences in the economic structure and development stages of the two sides.
China, as the world’s factory, has the advantage of experience in manufacturing and capital, while Africa can leverage on its natural and labour resources.
This complementarity enables both sides to realise mutual benefits in trade and investment.
Additionally, the summit serves as a reflection on the political mutual trust between African countries and China.
The long-term friendly relations between China and African countries have provided a solid political foundation for cooperation between the two sides.
African countries have received firm support from China in the international arena, especially in international organisations such as the United Nations.
In addition, the summit provided a platform for equal dialogue between the two sides, enabling African countries to communicate directly with the Chinese government and enterprises, thus solving problems in cooperation more effectively.
The two sides jointly launched the “Partnership in Support of Africa’s Development Initiative” at the UN Security Council in which China firmly supports African countries to become an important pole in the world’s political, economic and civilisational development.
Speaking about China’s modernisation agenda and the FOCAC Summit, President Mnangagwa said “We are confident that this thrust (of modernisation) will not only benefit your people but impact the Global South for a shared future for all mankind.”
In the economic sphere, the FOCAC has provided a platform for combining China’s huge market and financial advantages with Africa’s rich natural and human resources.
China’s investments in Africa’s infrastructure construction, such as railroads, highways, hospitals and schools, have greatly improved the development conditions of African countries.
At the same time, Africa’s agricultural products and mineral resources have provided important resources for the Chinese market.
The sustainability of the FOCAC is emphasised and supported both in the long-term planning of cooperation between the two sides and in the environmental and social impact.
Chinese investment projects in Africa are increasingly taking environmental protection and social responsibility into account, which helps to ensure the long-term positive impact of the projects on local societies.
In addition, the FOCAC has also emphasised human resource development to enhance the autonomous development capacity of African countries through education and training programmes. For instance, Chinese enterprises have helped African countries to add and upgrade about 150 000 kilometres of communication backbone networks and cover about 700 million users with network services.
Also, cross-border e-commerce platforms have enabled African products to take advantage of international logistics and mobile payment platforms that allow Africans to enjoy the convenience of digital payment. In key areas, China’s assistance has accelerated Africa’s digitalisation process.
By the end of July this year, the two parties jointly formulated and released the China-Africa Digital Cooperation and Development Action Plan, in which they will promote the popularisation of digital technology, accelerate the digital transformation in various fields, build 10 digital transformation demonstration projects over the next three years, and jointly train 1 000 digital talents.
It is key to note that China and Africa are keen on green development and the construction of new energy projects is already underway.
Egypt’s Gulf of Suez 500MW wind power project, Angola’s Kaikai hydropower station and Tunisia’s Kairouan 100MW photovoltaic power station are all in motion. This is facilitating and guaranteeing Africa’s sustainable development.
There is therefore need for China and Africa to continue efforts to create a favourable environment for the realisation of their respective visions of development and mutual achievements.
More investments and cooperation in industrialisation, agricultural modernisation and talent cultivation will provide positive outcomes for all players.
Today, China has become Africa’s largest trading partner.
Its investments in fields of energy, telecommunications, minerals, agriculture and manufacturing, have created hundreds of jobs, hence promoting local economic development.
For the African continent, FOCAC has not only brought tangible development opportunities to African countries, but also provided a solid foundation for long-term cooperation between the two sides.
The advantages, sustainability, complementarity and results achieved by FOCAC have shown that China-Africa cooperation is a partnership based on equality, mutual benefit and win-win situations, and that such cooperation will not be influenced or undermined by the West.
In the future, with the deepening of cooperation, FOCAC should continue to promote the development of African countries and achieve common prosperity.
The 2024 FOCAC summit is another vivid show of China and Africa walking hand in hand on the road of modernisation.
The two carry the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation to build a high-level community of destiny with a shared future, contributing to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region and the world.
Online Reporter