Beijing, China, Wednesday, September 4, 2024 – The Peoples Republic of China has been a great partner and a true friend to Africa over the years. This friendship has been taken to new heights with enhanced cooperation ever since the maiden edition of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in October 2000. Over 50 African countries have signed up to this muti-lateral development coordination mechanism, bringing together leaders of the continent and their Chinese counterparts on one table to discuss about shared prosperity of their people.
2024 looks a defining year, with both sides seeking to take their friendship and development cooperation to a whole new level. Nearly all African leaders, including Liberian President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, are here in Beijing, seeking to make a case for their respective countries and attracting the needed investments and development assistance to support a promise of a dignified life for the ordinary citizens.
With all the interests generated in this 2024 FOCAC summit, I see a perfect chance for African leaders to push for a synergy between the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The BRI is a global development strategy proposed by China to promote connectivity and cooperation across Asia, Europe and beyond, through infrastructure development and investment. On the other hand, the African Union agenda 2063 is a strategic framework for the continent’s long-term vision for inclusive growth and sustainable development.
To form a synergy between the BRI and the African Union agenda 2063, both sides could consider aligning development priorities. There is already a heavy Chinese involvement in crucial sectors such as infrastructure, energy, transportation and digital connectivity, which are key components of both ‘Agenda 2063’ and the BRI. Through capacity building, China has been providing technical assistance and training programs to help African countries develop the necessary skills and expertise to implement and manage large scale infrastructure projects effectively. On a defining note, both sides are encouraging participation of businesses and local communities in BRI related projects, ensuring that the benefits of these initiatives are shared widely within African societies.
Despite unfair characterization and politics of the West, China’s assistance to Africa has come with no strains. It has kept its respect for the sovereignty and development paths chosen by African countries, ensuring that BRI projects complement rather than dictate national development strategies. By pursuing these approaches, China and the African Union can work together to achieve their respective development objectives while fostering mutual benefit and respect for each other’s sovereignty. Africa and China have made significant progress in aligning their development strategies, with 52 African countries and the African Union signing cooperation agreements with China. The results have been overwhelming and FOCAC 2024 will only make it better. Over the years, China has participated in the construction of over 10,000 kilometers of railways, 100,000 kilometers of highways, nearly 1,000 bridges, and 100 ports in Africa. These projects have improved Africa’s infrastructure outlook and promoted economic development.
The West will sit and do nothing but criticize African governments, while China continues to expand cooperation in new areas such as health, green development, digital economy, and innovation, building hospitals, including the leading referral hospital in northern Liberia, low-carbon demonstration zones, and digital infrastructure. Statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce show that between December 2021 and July 2024, China’s imports from Africa reached a record US$ 305.9, making China Africa’s top trading partner for 15 consecutive years. No other country has that visible record singlehandedly.
Western media propagandists, in their attempts to nullify China’s significance to the continent, would often resort to the spread of fake ‘debt trap’ analysis, but China continues to observe the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith in its policy engagements in Africa. At the FOCAC 2024 summit in Beijing, African leaders and their Chinese counterparts anticipate pursue of greater good and shared interests, expanding institutional opening up to Africa and deepening cooperation to bring the Chinese and African economies together for shared achievements.
