AfricancountriesparticipatingintheFOCACBeijingSummithaveanopportunitytodiscusswithChinaonhowtoadoptappropriatemodernandaffordableChinesetechnologythatwillpromoteefficiencyintheproductionofgoodsandservicesforbothdomesticandinternationaluse.
KenyansworkinatransformerfactoryinNairobiinvestedbyChina.ChineseinvestmentishelpingincreaseemploymentopportunitiesforlocalsPANSIWEITheAfricanUnion(AU),establishedin2001toreplacethedefunctOrganizationofAfricanUnity,whichwasfoundedin1963,wasformedtohastentheregionalintegrationprocessinAfricatoenableittoplayitsrightfulroleintheglobaleconomy.TheAUhascreatedaneffectiveforumforitsmemberstatestoadoptcoordinatedpositionsonmattersofcommonconcerntothecontinentininternationalforaanddefendtheinterestsofAfricaeffectively.ItisthisunityofpurposethatgavebirthtothecelebratedAgenda2063-a50-yearcontinentalpeople-drivenplanoutliningthe鈥淎fricaWeWant.鈥滱genda2063isastrategicframeworkforthesocioeconomictransformationofAfrica.
ButwhatdoesAgenda2063aspiretoachieve?ItsmainobjectiveistocreateaprosperousAfricabasedoninclusivegrowthandsustainablepeople-drivendevelopment.Italsoaimstocreateacontinentthatisstrong,united,resilientandinfluential-thishasopenedupAfricatonumerousgrowthopportunitiesandchallenges.WorldeconomicpowerslikeChina,India,theUnitedStatesandJapanhaveuppedtheantebyhostingAfricanheadsofstatetovariousdevelopmentsummits.JapanhoststheTokyoInternationalConferenceonAfricanDevelopment;theUnitedStateshoststheU.S.-AfricaBusinessSummit;IndiahoststheIndia-AfricaForum;andChinahoststheForumonChina鈥揂fricaCooperation(FOCAC).China鈥檚successfulcooperationwithAfricaineconomicspherehasbroughtFOCAC鈥檚roleinpushingChina-Africacooperationintosharpfocus.SinceFOCAC鈥檚inaugurationin2000,theforumhasfocusedontrade,investmentandtechnicalcooperation,resultinginmulti-sectoralgrowthoftheSino-Africancooperation.
Continentaldevelopmentblueprint
FOCAChasemergedasanengagementchannelofinterestformostAfricannationsbecauseofitsfavorableagendathatresonateswellwiththedevelopmentneedsofthecontinent.WiththeestablisheddiplomaticrelationsbetweenChinaand53Africancountries,cooperationhasbeenfurtheredthroughcreationofsub-forumswithintheframeworkofFOCAC.
Besidesministerialconferences,FOCACalsoholdssummits.TheThirdFOCACSummit,tobeheldinBeijinginSeptemberthisyear,offersAfricancountriesagreatopportunitytostrengthencooperationwithChinaaimedatrealizingaspirationsoftheAgenda2063inlightoftheevolvinggeopoliticaldynamics.Theimplementationofacontinentaldevelopmentblueprintisperiodic,withthefirstphasetaking10yearsandafocusonflagshipprojectsthatincludeanintegratedhigh-speedrailwaynetwork,anAfricanvirtualande-university,Africancommoditystrategy,ContinentalFreeTradeArea,GrandIngaDamintheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo,continentalfinancialinstitutionsandasingleairtransportnetwork.TheseareareaswheretheChinesehavevaluablelessonsandexperiencestosharewiththeirAfricancounterpartsattheFOCACBeijingSummit.Withacombinedpopulationof2.6billionpeopleandaGDPof$16.282trillion,ChinaandAfricancountrieshaveasolidfoundationforheightenedcooperation.TheFOCACBeijingSummitoffersAfricancountriesanopportunitytonotonlybroadenthescopeandbenefitsofAgenda2063,butalsoproposenewmeasurestodealwithissuesofindustrialization,tradeimbalance,employmentcreationfortheyouth,foodsecurity,energy,security,publichealthanddiseaseprevention.
ThebenefitsoftheFOCACBeijingSum-mittoAfricacannotbeopposedanditwillremainpivotalincatapultingAfricatomeaningfulpartnershipstogrowtheirexportsnotonlytoChina,butalsototheotherpartsoftheworld.ThiscanbedonethroughtappingtheChineseexperienceandpracticesontradecompetitiveness.Africancountriesdependheavilyonprimaryproductsforexportsandforeignearningswhichhaveminimalvalueadditions.It鈥檚imperativeforAfricatolearnfromtheChineseontheneedtoprocessprimaryproductssothattheycangaincompetitivenessintheinternationalmarketsandearnthemhighermargins.ThiswillexpandinternationalmarketsforAfricanexportsthatwillhelpreducetradedeficits,andincreasebalanceofpaymentsandforeignexchangeearnings.
AfricancountriesparticipatingintheFOCACBeijingSummithaveanopportunitytodiscusswithChinaonhowtoadoptappropriatemodernandaffordableChinesetechnologythatwillpromoteefficiencyintheproductionofgoodsandservicesforbothdomesticandinternationaluse.Informationandcommunicationstechnologyisanenablerofgrowthanddevelopmentandwillbeinstrumentalincreatingjobsfortheyouth.
Varietyofcooperativeprojects
MostofChina鈥檚infrastructureprojectsinAfricaarelocatedinurbanareasandsotheFOCACBeijingSummitwillbeagoodforumtoengageChinaonmoreinfrastructureprojectstargetingruralareastoreducerural-urbanmigration,alleviatepovertyandspurruraldevelopment.
TheFOCACBeijingSummitwillalsobeusefulinengagingChinaontheneedtohavemoreChinesevisitAfricaastourists.DespitethegrowingSino-Africanrelations,thereisdisquietonthecurrentnumberofvisitorarrivalsfromChina.Infact,theshareoftouristsfromChinatoAfricaisapaltry1.5percentofthetotaloutboundChinesetourists,withonlyKenya,SouthAfrica,Mauritius,Morocco,Egypt,Namibia,CapeVerde,Botswana,TunisiaandTanzaniaemergingasthemostcompetitivetouristdestinationsfortheChinese.
Forthecontinenttobestrongerasatradingbloc,it鈥檚importanttoadoptcompetitiveglobalcurrenciesawayfromthetraditionalreverenceoftheU.S.dollar,Britishpoundandtheeuro.ThereisaneedfortheFOCACBeijingSummittodiscussnotjustthepossibilitybutalsotheprosandconsofadoptingtherenminbiasareservecurrency.ThiswillsafeguardAfrica鈥檚currenciesfromunprecedentedlocalcurrencyvolatilities,thusleadingtoeconomicstability.
SomehavetermedtheincreasedChineseinfrastructureloansasanewfaceofneocolonialism,butProfessorChingKwanLeeoftheUniversityofCaliforniaarguesthatChina-AfricacooperationhashelpedAfricastandonitsown,ratherthanmakingherdependentonChina.Leeaddsthatthemorethan10,000ChineseenterprisesoperatinginAfricahavepromotedAfrica鈥檚independenceandautonomyratherthantheusualdependencecommonlyassociatedwithcolonialism.It鈥檚atwo-wayrelationshipwithmutualbenefits.ForAfricatomovetowardapeaceful,prosperousandintegratedcontinentbasedoninclusivegrowthandsustainabledevelopment,inlinewiththeAgenda2063missionstatement,collaborationwithChinamustbegivenunconditionalroomtogrowbeyondexpectation.
MainobjectiveofAgenda2063istocreateaprosperousAfricabasedoninclusivegrowthandsustainablepeople-drivendevelopment.Italsoaimstocreateacontinentthatisstrong,united,resilientandinfluential鈥搕hishasopenedupAfricatonumerousgrowthopportunitiesandchallenges.
Thewriterisaneconomist,consultantandaregionalcommentatorontradeandinvestmentCommentsto