As numerous African heads of State gear up to travel to Beijing for the upcoming 2024 summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), a new book has been released, co-authored by renowned South African sinologist and researcher, Dr Paul Tembe and fellow researcher Jeffrey Sehume.
The book explores the extensive China-Africa relations which has resulted in China constructing and upgrading more than 10,000 kilometres of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometres of highways and over 60,000 kilometres of submarine cables, as well as nearly 1,000 bridges, 100 ports and over 100 health facilities and schools.
The book titled: ‘Xi Jinping and the Flourishing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in the New Era’ was released in Pretoria on Friday, days before the FOCAC summit kicks off in Beijing next month.
In his keynote address at the book launch, Ambassador of China to South Africa, Wu Peng said for the past 24 years since its formation, FOCAC has become an exemplar for international cooperation with the continent of Africa, and a model for South-South cooperation.
“In 2023, the trade between China and Africa reached a record high of $282.1 billion dollars, a 26-fold increase compared with the founding year of the Forum; China’s FDI (foreign direct investment) in Africa exceeded $40 billion dollars, growing by over 100-fold compared with the year 2000,” said Wu.
Fifty-two African countries and the African Union Commission have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with China.
Wu said Chinese enterprises have helped build networks in African countries, serving more than 900 million African people, improving Africa’s capacity for self-driven, sustainable development, and creating “great” opportunities for both China and Africa to make progress and achieve prosperity.
“FOCAC stands out from the many global and trans-regional cooperation frameworks as well as initiatives on cooperation with Africa. This is largely because it always advocates friendship and cooperation, and follows the principles of mutual respect, treating each other as equals and joint consultation,” he said.
“We build water-saving irrigation pilot areas in Mauritania, Nigeria and Ethiopia, and use Juncao grass technology to create green jobs in South Africa, Kenya and Rwanda. At a critical moment in South Africa’s green energy transition, Chinese enterprises such as Goldwind and Longyuan Power have entered the South African market.
“They have built and operated multiple wind power projects, sending power to thousands of households in South Africa, and creating a large number of jobs for local people,” he said.
The upcoming FOCAC summit will be held under the theme: “Joining hands to advance modernization and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future”.
“This new book of Dr Paul Tembe will take readers on a trip to explore FOCAC development and its success secrets. It’s released at just the right time,” said Wu.
“I would like to wish the 2024 FOCAC Summit every success. We are confident that during President Ramaphosa’s trip to China, he will deepen friendship and have great discussions on our cooperation with President Xi Jinping. The two presidents will surely move China-South Africa and China-Africa relations forward.”
Addressing the book launch, chairperson of the National Press Club, Kennedy Mudzuli said 2024 is going to be “an eventful year” in Africa-China relations, and key among the activities is the FOCAC summit due to take place in Beijing.
“China has been Africa's largest trading partner since 2009 when it surpassed the United States, and this friendship continues to this day.
“Even though China and South Africa in particular are geographically far apart, our two countries enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges with diplomatic ties and several joint efforts which continue to make history,” said Mudzuli, who is also editor of Pretoria News.
Mudzuli added that Tembe’s new book provides a comprehensive review of FOCAC's development and its real-world impact since its establishment, offering a unique perspective for the world to understand China-Africa relations.
Tembe highlighted that measurable items of success since the formation of FOCAC include but are not limited to support for Africa to attain its development and make efforts towards silencing the guns and ending wars on the African continent.
IOL