Why China and Africa are destined for a shared future

BEIJING, Sept. 5 — Leaders of China and Africa have gathered in
Beijing once again to explore new opportunities for mutually beneficial
cooperation and reinvigorate plans to build an even brighter future
together.

Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined a blueprint on Monday at the opening
ceremony of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation (FOCAC), marking a new starting point for friendly engagement
between the largest developing country and the promising continent. African
leaders said they will align their countries’ development strategies with
the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative in order to boost development
synergy, promote win-win cooperation and build a closer partnership with
China on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

FOCAC has provided a platform to boost the Africa-China partnership in the
past 18 years, which will lead to closer ties and more achievements,
African leaders said at the High-Level Dialogue Between Chinese and African
Leaders and Business Representatives, held on the sidelines of the summit.

The Beijing summit “reflects the unique as well as the strategic nature of
our partnership,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who co-chairs
the two-day summit with Xi, said at the dialogue, which is also the Sixth
Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs.The Africa-China
partnership “facilitates the realization of Africa’s developmental
aspirations reflected in Agenda 2063 through pragmatic collaboration in the
quest for win-win cooperation,” he added.”I am convinced that the FOCAC has
taken the comprehensive strategic partnership journey further and to higher
levels,” Ramaphosa said.Speaking on behalf of leaders of North African
countries, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said “China and
Africa enjoy sound cooperation in trade.”He noted that China has put
forward the important Belt and Road Initiative, while the African
Continental Free Trade Area is gradually taking shape and African countries
are making progress in seeking development paths that suit their national
conditions.Such moves will help upgrade China’s trade and investment
cooperation with North African as well as other African countries, he
added.China supports African countries in jointly building the Belt and
Road to share the win-win outcomes, Xi said at the dialogue.He said in his
keynote speech that China stands ready to strengthen comprehensive
cooperation with African countries to build a road of high-quality
development that is suited to individual national conditions, inclusive and
beneficial to all.

EQUAL PARTNERS

Since FOCAC was established in 2000, China together with various African
countries have been developing their relations on the basis of equality and
mutual respect. This year’s summit is the third of its kind in FOCAC
history, with the previous two meetings being held in Beijing in 2006 and
Johannesburg in 2015.

At the opening ceremony of this year’s summit, Xi pointed out that China
follows a “five-no’s” approach in its relations with the countries of
Africa: no interference in the development paths of individual countries;
no interference in their internal affairs; no imposition of China’s will;
no attachment of political strings regarding assistance; and no seeking of
selfish political gains in investment and financing cooperation.”China
follows the principle of giving more and taking less, giving before taking
and giving without asking for return,” Xi said.Rwandan President Paul
Kagame, who is also rotating chair of the African Union, said China’s
engagement in Africa has been “deeply transformational both internally and
with respect to Africa’s global position.”

In his speech at the opening ceremony of the summit, he noted that Xi has
paid four visits to Africa as president, reaching every major region of the
continent as well as countries of different sizes and economic profiles.
“This commitment speaks to the vigor and reliability of our relationship,”
Kagame said. “China has proven to be a win-win partner and sincere
friend.”Speaking on behalf of East Africa, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar
Guelleh said at the business dialogue that the Africa-China partnership, in
contrast to some allegations, is based on win-win cooperation and mutual
benefit.Africa has found in China a partner who believes in the continent’s
ability to lift its people out of poverty and achieve economic independence
and self-sufficiency, Guelleh said.”China’s investment and involvement in
East Africa date back to more than 40 years ago,” he added, “which
demonstrates not only the depth of our friendship, but more importantly,
how China, even when it was trying to develop itself and lift its people
out of poverty, always extended the hand of friendship to Africa and
believed in our success.”

BRIGHTER FUTURE

China-Africa cooperation has yielded fruitful results in the past years.
Leaders of the two sides said Monday that they expect more achievements
through win-win cooperation in the future.

Bilateral trade is registering fast growth. China has been Africa’s largest
trading partner for nine consecutive years. Trade between China and Africa
increased seventeen-fold in value from 2000 to 2017. In 2017, trade volume
surged 14 percent year on year to 170 billion U.S. dollars. In the first
half of 2018, the figure jumped 16 percent to nearly 100 billion
dollars.Meanwhile, China’s investment in Africa surged by more than 100
times in value from 2000 to 2017. By the end of 2017, Chinese investment of
all kinds in Africa totaled 100 billion dollars, covering almost every
country on the continent.Xi announced on Monday eight initiatives to
bolster bilateral cooperation in the next three years, including promoting
industrial cooperation, developing infrastructure connectivity,
facilitating trade, protecting the environment, and upgrading health aid
programs.

BEIJING, Sept. 3, 2018 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) welcomes Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is here to attend the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Meanwhile, China backed the initiatives up with a financing package of 60
billion dollars, which came on top of the 60-billion dollars in funding
support China pledged to provide Africa at the 2015 Johannesburg summit.
China has honored its 2015 promise, with the funding having been either
delivered or arranged, Xi said.Through FOCAC and other forums, China has
worked to ensure that Africa’s development is prominent on the
international agenda, said Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president.”Building on
these remarkable achievements, we welcome the announcement … by President
Xi of new FOCAC initiatives that will have a significant and lasting impact
on peace, stability and sustainable development on the African continent,”
Ramaphosa said.China and Africa have long formed a community with a shared
future. Together, their relations will become a model for building such a
community for all of humanity, Xi said. – XINHUA