HeWenpingTheauthorisaseniorresearcherwiththeCharharInstituteandaresearcherwiththeInstituteofWest-AsianandAfricanStudies,ChineseAcademyofSocialSciencesAtthe2018BeijingSummitoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC)heldonSeptember3-4,ChinaonceagaindemonstrateditsdeterminationtoincreasecooperationwithAfricaandpromotetheestablishmentofaChina-Africacommunitywithasharedfuturewithmoredevelopmentinitiatives.
AttheopeningceremonyonSeptember3,PresidentXiJinpingdeliveredakeynotespeechtitledWorkTogetherforCommonDevelopmentandaSharedFuture.OnSeptember4,aroundtablemeetingofChineseandAfricanleadersunanimouslyadoptedtheBeijingDeclaration.TheparticipantsalsoratifiedtheFOCACBeijingActionPlan(2019-21).
ThesetwoimportantoutcomedocumentschartthedirectionforthefuturedevelopmentofChinaandAfricancountries.TheBeijingDeclarationreflectstheirconsensusonmajorinternationalissuesandshowstheiraspirationstomaintainfriendship,shareopportunitiesandaddresschallengestogether.TheBeijingActionPlanlaysoutaplanforpracticalcooperationinvariousfieldsbetweenChinaandAfricainthecomingthreeyearsandbeyond,andoutlinesanewblueprintfortheirmutuallybeneficial,commondevelopment.
China鈥檚policiestowardAfrica
ChinawilladheretoitsfriendlypoliciestowardAfrica.Inhisopeningspeech,Xisummarizedtheselong-termpoliciesintoafive-noapproach:nointerferenceinAfricancountries鈥檖ursuitofdevelopmentpathsthatfittheirnationalconditions;nointerferenceinAfricancountries鈥檌nternalaffairs;noimpositionofChina鈥檚willonAfricancountries;noattachmentofpoliticalstringstoassistancetoAfrica;andnoseekingofselfishpoliticalgainsininvestmentandfinancingcooperationwithAfrica.
Inrecentyears,theWesthasoftenallegedthatitsconditionalaidtoAfricaisconducivetopromotingdemocracyandliberalizationinAfrica,whereasChina鈥檚unconditionalaidhampersgoodgovernanceandpoliticalprogressinAfrica.However,theWesthaswagedwarinLibyaandhascarriedoutothermilitaryinterventionsundertheexcuseofhumanitarianconcernsandthepretextthat鈥渉umanrightsareabovesovereignty.鈥漈oday鈥檚politicaldisorderinLibyaisthemostevidenttestimonytothefailureofsuchmilitaryintervention.Therefore,Xicalledforallcountriestoadheretothefive-noapproachwhendealingwithmattersregardingAfrica.
InresponsetobiasedattacksonChina-AfricarelationsbytheWesternmediainrecentyears,XifirmlypointedoutinhisspeechthatnoonecouldunderminethegreatunitybetweentheChineseandAfricanpeople;noonecouldholdbacktheChineseorAfricanpeopleastheymarchtowardrejuvenation;noonecoulddenytheremarkableachievementsmadeinChina-Africacooperation,notwiththeirassumptionsorimagination;andnoonecouldstandinthewayorobstructinternationaleffortstosupportAfrica鈥檚development.Inshort,ChineseandAfricanpeopleareinthebestpositiontotellwhethertheirrelationsaregoodorbad,whereaspeoplewholiketostandonthesidelinesandtalknonsensecannotstopChina-Africacooperation.
AChina-Africacommunitywithasharedfutureshouldbebuiltwiththefollowingpointsinmind.First,countriesshouldassumeajointresponsibility.ChinaandAfricacanincreasepoliticalandpolicydialogueatvariouslevels,enhancemutualunderstanding,supportregardingissuesinvolvingeachother鈥檚coreinterestsandmajorconcerns,andboostcoordinationonmajorinternationalandregionalissues.SucheffortswillenablealltoupholdthecommoninterestsofChinaandAfrica,aswellasthoseofotherdevelopingcountries.
Second,ChinaandAfricacouldseizetheopportunitycreatedbythecomplementaritybetweenourrespectivedevelopmentstrategiesandthemajoropportunitiespresentedbytheChina-proposedBeltandRoadInitiative,whichconsistsoftheSilkRoadEconomicBeltandthe21st-CenturyMaritimeSilkRoad.WeneedtoseetoitthattheinitiativeandtheAfricanUnion鈥檚Agenda2063,theUnitedNations2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopmentandthedevelopmentprogramsofindividualAfricancountriesbettercomplementeachother.
Third,China-Africacommunitywithasharedfutureshouldbebuilttodeliverhappinessforthepeopleintheseareas,boostculturalprosperity,enhancecommonsecurity,andpromoteharmonybetweenhumansandnature.AChina-Africacommunitywithasharedfutureisnotacastleintheair.Itwillcomeintobeingwithourconcertedefforts.Itsever-enrichingconnotationwillkeeppacewiththetimes,guidepeopleandgivethemimpetustomoveforward.
Eightmajorinitiatives
Inthenextthreeyears,Chinawilllauncheightinitiativesinsuchareasasindustrialpromotion,infrastructureconnectivity,tradefacilitation,greendevelopment,capacitybuilding,healthcare,people-to-peopleexchangesandpeaceandsecurity.ThegoalistostrengthenthethreemajorweakspotsinAfrica,namelyalackofinfrastructure,talentandfunding,whichrestrictitsindustrializationandmodernization.
Tomakesurethattheseeightinitiativesareimplemented,Chinawillprovide$60billiontoAfricaintheformofgovernmentassistanceaswellasinvestmentbyfinancialinstitutionsandcompanies.Thiswillinclude$15billioningrants,interest-freeloansandconcessionalloans;$20billionincreditlines;thesettingupofa$10-billionspecialfundfordevelopmentfinancing;anda$5-billionspecialfundforfinancingimportsfromAfrica.Thelattertworepresentanewdirectionforfunduse,aimedataddressingdebtandotherfinancingchallengesarisinginAfrica鈥檚currentdevelopmentprocessanditstradedeficitwithChina.
Furthermore,Chinawillencourageitscompaniestomakeatleast$10billionworthofinvestmentinAfricainthenextthreeyears,soastotransformChina-Africaeconomicandtradecooperationfromagovernment-ledtoamarket-drivenmodel.
Intheprocessofbuildingacommunitywithasharedfuture,ChinaandAfricaneedtoconstantlybuildpoliticalconsensus,strengthenexchangesofexperiencesinstategovernance,enhanceunderstandingofrespectivepoliticaldevelopmentpathsandmodelsandlearnfromeachother.Inaddition,weneedtofurtherstrengtheneconomiccooperationandjointlybuildtheBeltandRoad.AsAfrica鈥檚economicdevelopmentisstilllaggingbehind,itneedsnotonlyexternalaidbutalsogreaterself-relianceintermsofcapital,technologyandpersonnel.Therefore,specialattentionshouldbepaidtotechnologytransfer,vocationaltrainingandemploymentcreationinAfricaintheprocessofSino-Africanindustrializationcooperation.
Chinahaspledgedtoincreasefinancingsupportforsmallandmedium-sizedenterprisesinAfricaandwilluseinnovativeinstrumentssuchasdevelopmentfinancetosolvedebtandotherfinancingproblems.Intermsofinfrastructureconstruction,Chinawillpaymoreattentiontothesustainabledevelopmentoftheprojects.OnlybyhelpingAfricarealizeitsAfricandreamofpovertyalleviationanddevelopmentcanasolidChina-Africacommunitywithasharedfuturebebuilt.
**Commentsto
Chinahaspledgedtoincreasefinancingsupportforsmallandmedium-sizedenterprisesinAfricaandwilluseinnovativeinstrumentssuchasdevelopmentfinancetosolvedebtandotherfinancingproblems.