By Jaya Josie
Addressing a South African National Press Club event in Pretoria on Friday, September 13, 2024 China’s Ambassador to South Africa Mr Wu Peng presented the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit.
The Ambassador focused his presentation on the five “Cs” that capture the main themes of the FOCAC statement and China and Africa’s mutual understanding for taking their relationship into a new era of modernization and development. The outcomes emphasise FOCAC’s commitment to modernization that will lead to a Community with a shared future for China and Africa. The Summit raised the partnership with African nations to the level of strategic partnerships taking to a higher level of relationship African states that have diplomatic ties with China. The term strategic in this relationship means that the bilateral relationship is stable, long term and holistic.
It also implies that the relationship goes beyond differences in ideology and political systems. The partnership is based on mutual trust and mutual benefits in a win-win situation. The strategic partnership also means coordinating more closely on regional and international issues with partners.
The next aspect of the outcomes highlighted by Ambassador Wu Peng are Consensus and Commitment, representing the second and third “C” in his presentation. In this sense both China and Africa are pursuing modernization as part of their developmental objectives.
According to the joint FOCAC statement from the Summit the African and China leadership affirmed building a high-level community with a shared future for China-Africa relations and for humanity in general. Such a shared future will entail a high-quality cooperation between Africa and China in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global Development, Global Security and Global Civilization Initiatives. The statement also asserted FOCAC’s commitment to promoting lasting peace, universal security, shared prosperity, global governance mutual benefits and common values for humanity with a new type of international relations.
The statement also committed China’s cooperation and collaboration in the joint implementation of Africa’s Agenda 2063 following the high-level meeting themed “Strengthening Governance Experience Exchanges and Exploring Development Paths to Modernization”. Included in this joint commitment is peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, poverty reduction, prosperity for all and modernization considering each countries unique characteristics, civilization, development, science, technology and innovation needs.
Over the recent past China’s cooperation with Africa has always been its commitment to keep promises and implement its plans in real actions. To date China and Africa have implemented programs such as the “Ten Cooperation Plans”, the “Eight Major Initiatives” and the “Nine Programs”.
These programs have brought practical benefits to millions of people. The Ambassador announced that over the next three years China and Africa will also take forward the Ten Partnership Actions with concrete measurable goals that will deepen China-Africa cooperation. The actions will include inviting members of African political parties to visit China, Grant zero-tariff treatment to all products from 33 of Africa’s least developed countries, build supporting infrastructure for 10 industrial parks, implement 30 infrastructure connectivity projects, carry 1,000 small livelihood projects, launch 20 health facilities and malaria treatment programs, provide 500 agricultural experts, 30 clean energy projects and create at least 1 million jobs for Africa. The actions underlined China’s role in training and sharing expertise with African civil servants.
A key moment from the FOCAC Summit that underscored the infrastructure connectivity programs was the trilateral signing of the Memorandum of Understanding by China, Zambia and Tanzania on the 4 September for the reconstruction of the famous Tazara railway that connects Zambia to the Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The Tazara was one of the first infrastructure projects that was built with China’s assistance in the 1970s when Southern Africa was in the throes of the liberation struggle. With the reconstruction of the Tazara it is likely to become a key driver for the modernization of Southern Africa as it will definitely incorporate China’s advances in transport innovation and technology.
Other specific initiatives announced by the Ambassador include expanding the Future of Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Plan. The plan will offer 60,000 training opportunities in cultural, tourism, and media platforms, and continue the China-Africa Press Communication Center program.
The Ambassador also announced that 2026 will be designated the “China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges”. For the implementation of the Ten Partnership Actions the government of China will provide RMB360 billion (US$50.72bn), consisting of RMB210 (US$29.59bn) in credit lines, RMB80 billion (US$11.27bn) for assistance in various forms and at least RMB70 billion (US$9.86bn) of foreign direct investment by enterprises from China. In addition, the Ambassador indicated that China would support and encourage African states to issue Panda Bonds in China with the aim of achieving inclusive and sustainable development.
The fourth and fifth “Cs” in the Ambassador’s presentation were “Creativity” and “Coordination”. Creativity was reflected in the high-level meetings that were held during the Summit. At the meetings participants expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn from China’s Third Plenary of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee session.
In particular participants appreciated the fact that the CPC emphasised how China and Africa should learn from each other to explore development paths that suit their specific national contexts and, how both partners may use complementary strengths to drive sustainable development in industrialization and agricultural modernization. The meetings also focused on global peace and security and how China and Africa may use the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to promote closer ties between China and Africa. Ambassador Wu Peng showed how Coordination was an important outcome of the Summit because
It demonstrated the alignment between the global governance strategies of China and Africa. The Summit’s final statement affirmed the commitment to firmly support each other on key issues of concern, safeguarding the collective interests of developing countries, and promoting global fairness and justice. The Summit also agreed to support multilateralism, a multipolar world for inclusive and fair globalization and, advance Global Development, Security and Civilization initiatives.
Ambassador Wu Peng concluded his speech by reiterating President Xi Jinping’s letter of response to scholars from 50 African countries encouraging them to continue offering intellectual support for the development of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future and to safeguard the common interests of the “Global South”. In this regard South Africa has played an active role in FOCAC engagements and contributed significantly to China -Africa cooperation. On the 2 September 2024 President Ramaphosa made a state visit to China just before the FOCAC Summit. He was received by President Xi Jinping. The two leaders subsequently announced the lifting of China-South Africa relations to an All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership. During the state visit several agreements were signed including Beidou Satellite Navigation System, housing and human settlements, bilateral trade, agricultural market access, and cultural heritage. The meeting between the two presidents ended with a joint statement reiterating South Africa and China’s commitment to maintaining the strong ties that bind the two countries. This is indeed an example of how FOCAC can become a beacon of South-South cooperation and the foundation for a more inclusive and sustainable development agenda.
The Ambassador’s speech on the outcomes of the FOCAC Summit reflects important points in the final joint statement of the Summit that will resonate with a majority of South Africans and Africans in particular and, are worth noting here. China and Africa represent the biggest developing country and a continent with the largest number of developing countries and, both belong to the Global South and are committed respect for sovereignty non-interference in internal affairs and unity in development.
A key element in this approach is China’s commitment to enhance Africa’s development agenda through FOCAC and the African Union (AU) affiliated and, its sub-regional institutions in actively implementing plans such as the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative (PICI), the Africa Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP), and the Accelerated Industrial Development for Africa (AIDA).
The joint statement went further to state that China supports Africa strengthening trade integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) program and the introduction of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPS). China has the technology, expertise and experience to assist AfCFTA in implementing PAPS to reduce countries dependence on the use of foreign currency in intra-African trade. China will also introduce a more flexible and practical trade and investment policy for African countries to trade with China’s huge market.
In his opening address for the Summit President Xi Jinping expressed his thoughts on the twenty-four-year history of the Forum and indicated that during that time China marched together with Africa in the spirit of friendship, good faith, bonds of solidarity and tangible results.
The spirit of friendship is characterised by the joint commitment to defend FOCAC members legitimate rights and interests in. One of the key outcomes of the FOCAC summit was President Xi’s proposal to upgrade the status of China-Africa relations to the level of a strategic relationship and a community with a shared future in the new international era.
President Xi’s sentiment for defending the legitimate rights and interests in a world undergoing major changes is reflected in an important aspect of the joint FOCAC Summit statement expressing grave concern with respect to the current Palestine-Israeli conflict and the genocidal disaster unfolding in the Gaza Strip. This concern is of significance to the AU in general and South Africa and China in particular as both countries supported each other in the case of genocide against Palestinians by Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The statement called for the implementation of the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly resolution for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the fighting and respect for the inalienable rights for self-determination for the Palestinian people. The Forum on China Africa Cooperation ended in Beijing on September 6, 2024.
* Jaya Josie, Advisor Africa Zhejiang University International Business School (ZIBS), Adjunct Professor, University of the Western Cape & University of Venda.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.