Sinceitsfoundingin2000,theForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC)haswithoutdoubtbecomeaworld-classinternationalplatformwithatrackrecordofsoliddeliveryresults.China-Africatraditionalfriendshipandcooperationhadhadlongtrajectoriesbeforetheestablishmentoftheplatform;butFOCACnotonlyre-engineeredthesetiesinamoreresult-orientedfashion,butalsocreatedandsustainedthemechanismofregularcontactsandconsultations,withtheconsequenceofpragmaticoutcomesintherelationships.
China’sownexponentialburstofgrowthinthepastyearsafterFOCACwasestablishedandAfrica’sbreakwithWestern-centricglobalexposure,duringthesameperiod,providedasoundopportunityonwhichAfricaandChinastrengthenedtheircooperationundertheframeworkoftheFOCACmechanism.TheusualsuspicionsofideologicalinfractionsandsabotagesoftheColdWarperiodhadalreadypassedatthetimeofFOCAC’sfoundingandtherefore,thankfully,itdidnothavetodealwithideologicalcontestationsthatinfectedmanyinternationalorganizationsduringtheperiodoftheintenseColdWar.
BeltandRoadbenefits
Whilestillaworkinprogress,FOCAC,withleadersofitsmembersgatheringinBeijingthisSeptemberfortheThirdSummit,willofferamilestoneinthelifeoftheorganization.
Asitspedigreeisreassuringtoitsfutureprospects,FOCAChasbroughtuniqueopportunitiestoitsmembers.Africa,sincethehistoricSecondSummitofFOCACinJohannesburg,SouthAfrica,in2015,hasmadesomegiantleaps,asthe10majorChina-AfricacooperationplansoutlinedatthesummitbyChinesePresidentXiJinpingwith$60billionfundingsupport,hassubstantiallymaterializedsincethen.
Thenearly800-kmfirstelectrifiedrailwayinAfrica,connectingtheemergingregionalindustrialhubbutlandlockedEthiopiatotheportofDjibouti,hasbecomefullyoperational,andhascuttraveltimefromdaystohours.Withathawinrelationsbetweenformeradversaries,EthiopiaandEritrea,accesstotheRedSeathroughtheAssabPortwouldfurtherfuelindustrializationofEthiopia,withChinesecompaniesmakingenormouscontributionstotheprospects.
The400-plus-kmstandardgaugeraillinefromKenya’sportcityofMombasatoitscapitalNairobihasbeencompletedandisinoperation,triggeringincreasedeconomicactivityforKenya,whilealsohelpingreducethecostofdoingbusiness.
Meanwhile,thePortofMombasahasbeenundermassivereconstructionandwillbeavitalarteryofthe21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoad,themaritimecomponentofChina’sBeltandRoadInitiativeframeworkofinclusiveandintegratedinternationalcooperation.AsChinaandAfricancountriessitdowninBeijingattheThirdFOCACSummittoponderontheroadmaptodrivethenextphaseofChina-Africacooperation,theBeltandRoadInitiative,amassiveframeworkofoverland,maritimeanddigitalconnectivityfeaturingheavyinfrastructureconstructionacrosscountriesandwithincountries,willbeprominentasapowerfulimpetusforfreshdevelopmentstrides,alreadysetinmotioninAfricabytheFOCACprocess.
MadeinNigeriawithChina
AsAfrica’sregionalpowerhouseanditslargestmarket,Nigeriaisalreadyinthecuspofaneweconomicdawn,duetoChina’sfueledmassiveinvestmentinstrategicinfrastructure.
Since2016,thenearly200kmstandardgaugerailwaylinebetweenthecapitalcityAbujaandthenorthwesterncityofKadunaisupandrunning.InJuly,thefirstintracityrailwayconnectingthecitycenterofAbujatotheairport,describedasthefirstofitskindinWestAfrica,waslaunchedamidstmuchfanfarebyNigerianPresidentMuhammaduBuhari.
TheconstructionofamajorrailwaytoconnectthecommercialcityofLagosthroughIbadantothenortherncommercialhubofKanohasbeenlaunched.Inaddition,thecountry’seconomicrecoveryblueprint,calledtheEconomicRecoveryandGrowthPlan,whichpromisesmassiveinfrastructureconstructionsasthekeytounlocksustainableandinclusivedevelopment,lookssettoleverageChina’sconcessionalfundinginthesector.Nigeria’snotoriousepilepticpowersupplywouldalsoreceiveamassiveboost,whentheChina-fundedMambillaPowerStationcomesonstream.TheExport-ImportBankofChinarecentlyagreedto85percentoftheconcessionalfundingofthepowerproject.
Nigeria’sindustriallandscapeisfastrevitalizingasChineseenterprisessettohelpboostlocalcapacity,toconsiderablygivesubstancetotheconceptof“MadeinNigeriawithChina.”
Peacethrougheconomicdevelopment
FOCAChasaccordedAfricaapracticalandfunctionalinternationalpartnershipwithanuncommonfocusontheexistentialchallengeofthecorematerialneedsthatwouldputtheregionnotonlyonthepathofeconomicrecovery,butalsoonasteadyandinclusivedevelopmenttrajectory.China’sbeliefthatAfrica’ssecuritychallengescanbeovercomeandpeaceprospectscanbesecuredthroughsustainableandinclusivedevelopmenthassignificantlychangedandshiftedinternationalperspective,whichpreviouslyviewedAfricaasaplaceofhighsecurityriskforinvestmentandbusiness.
WhereAfrica’sformercolonialmastersandtheirpartnersintheWestviewAfrica’ssecuritychallengesasobstaclestodevelopment,China,throughthemechanismofFOCAC,seeseconomicdevelopmentasthepracticalwaytoovercomethesecuritychallengeandsecurepeace,stabilityandprosperityinAfrica.ThestrategicstridesalreadyaccomplishedinAfricathroughthecooperationframeworkoftheFOCACprocessattest,withoutdoubt,thepragmaticorientationofcontemporaryChina-Africarelationship.
WithChina’smassivegrowthofhernationalaggregatesandincreasedstrategicroleinglobalgovernance,Africa’scooperationwithChinathroughtheframeworkofFOCACwillseeasignificantupgrade.TheThirdFOCACSummit,highlyanticipatedtobuildontheenormousprogresssecuredatpreviousforums,isexpectedtoradicallyraisetheprofileoftheFOCACmechanism,especiallywheninfusedwiththevigoroftheBeltandRoadInitiative,whoseseveralinstitutionalcomplementssuchastheSilkRoadFund,theAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBankandothersarealreadyinfullthrottlemode.
Withthesuccessful19thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)latelastyear,thereelectionofXiasthegeneralsecretaryoftheCPCCentralCommitteeandtheinnovativevitalityofXiJinpingThoughtonSocialismwithChineseCharacteristicsforaNewEra,China-AfricacooperationwouldbeinjectedwithfreshdynamismandthatwouldhelpsecureveryfirmlytheroadmapforAfrica’smarchtoitsownAgenda2063.
WhereAfrica’sformercolonialmastersandtheirpartnersintheWestviewAfrica’ssecuritychallengesasobstaclestodevelopment,China,throughthemechanismofFOCAC,seeseconomicdevelopmentasthepracticalwaytoovercomethesecuritychallengeandsecurepeace,stabilityandprosperityinAfrica.
Thefirstintra-cityrailwayconnectingthecitycenterofAbujatotheairportislaunched.NigerianPresidentMuhammaduBuhari(left)attendedthelaunchceremonyZHANGBAOPING
AtraineeKenyandriverismonitoredbyhisChineseinstructorZHANGBAOPINGThewriterisdirectoroftheCenterforChinaStudies,Abuja,Nigeria**Commentsto