Opinion: 2024 FOCAC Summit -- Towards a closer China-Africa community

Sharone Oliphant, a local middle school girl, is interviewed next to the newly renovated football field by Longyuan SA in De Aar, South Africa, Aug. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

The trajectory of China-Africa relations over the past decades has recorded numerous positive indicators, demonstrating a consistent upward trend in strengthening and expanding cooperation across various fields.

by Rania Aboelkheir

The 2024 summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in the Chinese capital city of Beijing from Sept. 4 to 6. The summit is expected to include the participation of African heads of state, as well as representatives from regional and international African organizations involved in summit-related activities. The goal is to enhance the progress of China-Africa cooperation, with the forum serving as one of its operational mechanisms, while both sides strive to strengthen their traditional friendship.

The summit, under the theme of "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," aims to create new avenues for solidarity and cooperation, thereby accelerating the shared development of both sides. The summit is expected to explore ways to strengthen friendship and cooperation and to write a new chapter on building a China-African community with a shared future.

It is worth noting that since the establishment of this forum in 2000, the focus has been on achieving shared prosperity and sustainable development for the Chinese and African peoples, through a commitment to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. As the forum approaches its 25th anniversary next year, it has evolved into an important platform for collective dialogue and an effective mechanism for practical cooperation between China and Africa, built on a solid foundation of friendship, respect, trust, and mutual benefit.

In light of all this, the trajectory of China-Africa relations over the past decades has recorded numerous positive indicators, demonstrating a consistent upward trend in strengthening and expanding cooperation across various fields. The following are some of the key indicators.

First: A tradition in China's foreign policy towards Africa was highlighted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a press conference on the sidelines of this year's session of China's National People's Congress in March. He said that Chinese foreign ministers have chosen Africa as the first stop on their annual overseas visits in a tradition that has continued for 34 years. "This is unparalleled in the history of international exchanges. It is so because China and Africa are brothers treating each other with sincerity and sharing a common future. We have fought shoulder to shoulder against imperialism and colonialism. We have supported each other in pursuit of development. We have always stood for justice in a changing international landscape," he said.

An exhibitor introduces products to a visitor during the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo at the Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, June 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Second: Trade has grown between the two sides, making China Africa's largest trading partner today. Recent years have seen an expansion in both the volume and quality of trade between China and the African continent. According to the China-Africa Trade Index, published for the first time in 2023, the value of China's imports from and exports to Africa increased from less than 100 billion yuan (about 14 billion U.S. dollars) in 2000 to 1.88 trillion yuan (about 263 billion dollars) in 2022, a cumulative increase of about 20 times. In 2023, the China-Africa trade volume reached a record high of 282.1 billion dollars, an annual increase of 1.5 percent. China's imports of nuts, vegetables, flowers, and fruits from Africa increased by 130 percent, 32 percent, 14 percent, and 7 percent, respectively, year on year. Meanwhile, Chinese exports of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products to Africa increased by 291 percent, 109 percent, and 57 percent, respectively, strongly supporting Africa's green transition.

Third: China has been committed to supporting Africa's economic integration. China has expressed its support for the practical steps taken by the African Union to enhance the economic integration of its member states. China commended the 37th African Union Summit for announcing the implementation of the second decade of "Agenda 2063," aimed at enhancing economic integration, infrastructure connectivity, and agricultural productivity. In this context, China also supports the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which was officially launched in 2019. The AfCFTA aims to reduce tariffs, eliminate trade barriers, and promote the development of trade and investment within the region, facilitating the free movement of goods, services, and capital across the African continent. The AfCFTA offers advantages by facilitating access to regional markets and enhancing production chains across the continent, better preparing African industries for the increasingly competitive global market.

It goes without saying that China's support for African integration efforts stems from Beijing's desire to be a partner in the continent's modernization, development, and progress along the independent path its people have chosen. On the sidelines of the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue held in August 2023, China launched three pioneering plans for cooperation with Africa: the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. These three plans cover the areas most in need on the African continent, which China is committed to supporting through concrete actions to help achieve the developmental goals of African countries and their peoples.

In conclusion, the upcoming summit is being held at a highly sensitive time both internationally and regionally, which underscores its importance in following up on the implementation of previous summit outcomes and meetings, assessing their performance, and formulating visions and approaches to addressing issues of interest, both in bilateral relations and within the deeply changing global system.

(Rania Aboelkheir is the secretary-general of the Global Forum for Future Studies, an Egyptian think tank.)