Siaka MOMOH
The Beijing Summit – the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, 2024. The Heads of State, Government and delegation of China and 53 African countries and Chairperson of the African Union Commission and their ministers of foreign affairs and of economic cooperation attended the summit and ministerial conference respectively.
The two sides (China and Africa} speak highly of FOCAC’s achievements over the past 24 years. It has kept pace with the prevailing trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation, overcome challenges posed by the changing and turbulent international environment, sluggish global economic recovery and the COVID pandemic, and promoted the comprehensive and in-depth development of friendship and cooperation between China and Africa. It has become an efficient platform for South-South cooperation and a shining example of catalyzing international cooperation with Africa.
The two sides commend the four high-level meetings held during the Summit, that is. “increasing experience sharing on national governance in the exploration of paths to modernization,” “industrialization, agricultural modernization and green development – the path to modernization,” “building a shared future of lasting peace and universal security as a strong underpinning of modernization,” “pursuing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as a platform for modernization featuring planning together, building together and benefiting together” and they will deepen exchanges and cooperation in these areas in line with the important consensus reached by Chinese and African leaders.
The two sides have jointly formulated and adopted by consensus this Action Plan to implement the outcomes of the Summit, and chart the course of China-Africa friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields in the next three years and beyond under the theme of “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.”
Key Measures To Support Africa By The Chinese Next Three Years
The African side highly appreciates the key measures to be implemented in the next three years announced by President Xi Jinping in the opening ceremony of FOCAC Beijing Summit, and agrees that these measures are forward looking and strategic, corresponding to the needs of the future development of Africa, which will provide a strong impetus to the leapfrog development of the China-Africa cooperation. The African side is ready to work with China, to strengthen the synergy of the development strategies, and jointly promote the effective implementation of these measures.
China will work with Africa, in the next three years, to implement ten partnership initiatives for joining hands to advance modernization for China and Africa (the ten partnership initiatives), which cover the areas of mutual learning between civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, healthcare, rural revitalization and people’s wellbeing, people-to-people exchanges, green development, and common security.
The Initiatives:
Partnership initiative for mutual learning between civilizations
China will join hands with Africa to build a dialogue partnership for the Global Civilization Initiative and a platform for governance experience-sharing between China and Africa. China will support the establishment of the China-Africa network of knowledge for development and 25 China-Africa research centers. The African Leadership Academy will be leveraged to train governance talent and 1000 African political party personages invited to China for exchanges.
Partnership initiative for trade prosperity.
China will grant dutyfree treatment to 100% of the tariff lines of products from least developed countries (LDCs) with diplomatic ties with China; (looks like a policy challenge to US AGOA) sign framework agreements on economic partnership for shared development with interested African countries; and strengthen cooperation on inspection and quarantine and standards, and expand access for agricultural exports from Africa. China will deepen China-Africa e-commerce cooperation, support African countries in setting up country pavilions in China’s Silk Road e-commerce cooperation pilot zone, and host Cloud Lectures to train African e-commerce talent. China will implement the China-Africa quality enhancement programme, establish the China-Africa Center for Standardization Cooperation and Research, and the China-Africa Trade Digitalization Trust Verification Platform, and implement the China-Africa conformity assessment capacity building initiative.
Partnership initiative for industrial chain cooperation
China will support Africa in developing local value chains, manufacturing and deep processing of critical minerals (the N1 trillion new iron ore to steel project planned for Kogi State signposts this policy move), build growth circles for China-Africa industrial cooperation in five regions, undertake 10 supporting projects of industrial parks for African countries, and hold 100 training sessions on industrialization. China will advance the development of the pioneering zone for in-depth China-Africa trade and economic cooperation and establish a corresponding fund to promote the integration of industry and trade and interconnected development of industrial parks.
China will implement an African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) empowerment initiative, which includes financing support for African SMEs, 50 matchmaking activities, and 1,000 training opportunities for African business managers. A China-Africa digital technology cooperation center will be jointly built, facilitate Chinese businesses in undertaking 20 digital infrastructure projects and digital transformation demonstration projects in Africa.
Partnership initiative for connectivity
China firmly supports African integration. China will help implement 30 infrastructure projects in Africa, and continue to provide support for the development of the African Union (AU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). China will promote interconnected development between transport infrastructure and industrial parks built and operated by Chinese companies in Africa, and build a multimodal sea-rail transport network that connects China’s central and western region to Africa. To enhance financial market connectivity, China will deepen cooperation with Africa in local currency settlement and financial technology, and welcomes the issuance of panda bonds by African countries.
Partnership initiative for development cooperation
China will publish with Africa the Joint Statement on Deepening Cooperation under the Framework of the Global Development Initiative, jointly build the Global Development Promotion Center network, and help deliver 1,000 “small and beautiful” projects to improve people’s livelihood. China will support Africa in holding the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games and the 2027 African Cup of Nations. China will establish a demonstration center for China-Africa (Ethiopia)-UN (UNIDO) cooperation.
For least developed African countries with diplomatic ties with China, China will waive their intergovernmental interest-free loans due by the end of 2024. The Chinese government will replenish the China-World Bank Group Partnership Facility with USD 50 million, which will mainly be used to support inclusive and sustainable development in African countries. China also calls for collective actions of the international community to secure liquidity and other funding support from the private sector for Africa’s sustainable development.
Partnership initiative for healthcare
China will establish an alliance of Chinese and African hospitals, work with African countries to build a number of joint medical centers and traditional medicine centers to enhance cooperation on traditional medicine and smart medicine, and implement a programme on minimally invasive medicine. China will deepen technical cooperation on public health with Africa, train 100 professionals, support the development and operation of the Africa CDC headquarters and five sub-regional centers, send 2,000 medical personnel and public health experts to African countries, launch the free medical services programe of “100 Medical Teams in 1,000 Villages”, and continue to provide assistance against epidemics in Africa within China’s capacity. China will implement ten healthcare facility programmes and ten malaria elimination demonstration programmes. It will encourage Chinese businesses to invest in the production of medicines and vaccines in Africa to increase local medicine production capacity.
Partnership initiative for rural revitalization and people’s wellbeing
China will support Africa in eradicating hunger and achieving food security and sustainable agricultural development, foster a network of China-Africa cooperation on agricultural modernization, help to build or upgrade ten agricultural technology demonstration centers, build no less than 100,000 mu (6667 hectares) of overseas demonstration areas of Chinese agricultural standardization, and provide African countries with RMB 1 billion of emergency food aid.
China will establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance, build 100 demonstration villages for poverty reduction through agricultural development, send 500 agricultural experts to African countries, provide training for 1,000 leaders in pursing a better life through agricultural development, and advance the development of a China-Africa Juncao cooperation center and a China-Africa bamboo center. China will continue to carry out the initiative of “100 Companies in 1,000 Villages”, and implement 500 public welfare projects in such areas as women’s and children’s health, education and training, rural development, and clean drinking water. It will encourage Chinese businesses in Africa to create no less than one million local jobs.
Partnership initiative for people-to-people exchanges
China will continue to implement Future of Africa, a project for China-Africa cooperation on vocational education, build with African countries schools of engineering technology, and set up or upgrade 10 Luban Workshops and 20 schools. China will offer 60,000 training opportunities to Africa, with priorities given to programmes for women empowerment and youth development.
China will refine the mechanisms and platforms for China-Africa science and education cooperation, and establish China-Africa regional cooperation centers for digital education. China will implement ten people-to-people exchange projects, work with African countries to advance the China-Africa “Cultural Silk Road” programme, invite 1,000 African culture and tourism professionals to China for training, carry out a plan of cooperation on radio, television and audiovisual innovation, and designate the year 2026 as the Year of China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges.
Partnership initiative for green development
China will support Africa in enhancing climate adaptation capacity, provide new energy technologies and products, implement 30 clean energy and green development projects, and set up a Special Fund for China-Africa Green Industrial Chain. China will strengthen capacity-building and joint research in such areas as disaster prevention, mitigation and relief, bio-diversity protection, environmental improvement, and desertification treatment, and work with Africa to construct a meteorological early-warning service platform. China will set up the China-Africa Forum on Peaceful Use of Nuclear Technology, build joint laboratories together with African countries and the Africa Center of China-Africa Cooperation Center on Satellite Remote Sensing Application, carry out marine space planning, and support African countries’ participation in the international lunar research station project and China’s lunar and Martian exploration.
Partnership initiative for common security
China will join hands with Africa to establish and implement a Global Security Initiative partnership, build a demonstration zone of Global Security Initiative and conduct early-stage cooperation of the Global Security Initiative. China will provide Africa with an RMB 1 billion military grant to support African countries in strengthening their armed forces, train 6,000 military personnel for Africa, and invite 500 young African military officers to visit China and conduct joint exercises, training and patrols.
China will carry out the initiative to help Africa in demining and deepen China-Africa communication and cooperation on security of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China will train 1,000 police enforcement officers for Africa and jointly ensure the safety of cooperation projects and personnel.
To ensure the successful implementation of the ten partnership initiatives, China will provide Africa with RMB 360 billion of financial support in the next three years, includes RMB 210 billion credit lines, RMB 80 billion in assistance of different types, no less than RMB 70 billion of investment by Chinese companies, to give strong support for the practical cooperation of China and Africa in all fields.