AtthegraduationceremonyoftheTianjinUniversityofTechnologyandEducation,Africanmaster’sdegreestudentsgettheirdiplomas.Inhisspeechattheopeningceremonyofthe2018BeijingSummitoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingdeclaredthatChinawouldprovideAfricawith50,000governmentscholarshipsand50,000trainingopportunitiesforseminarsandworkshops,andwouldinvite2,000youngAfricanstovisitChinaforexchanges.TowitnesstheimpactofChina-Africafriendship,visitEthiopia,saysSalamawitKassa.SeetheAfricancountry’scapital,AddisAbaba,first.
“WalkingaroundthecitycanbelikeatourofChinesecompanies,”saysKassa,anewsproducerwithFanaBroadcastingCorporationthere.“Thereareover450projectshappeningineverysectorimaginable.Wehaveatleast15industrialparks.”ComplementingthevariousconstructionprojectsistheAddisAbaba-Djiboutirailway,aChinesebuilt756-kilometerelectricrailprojectconnectinglandlockedEthiopiatoDjibouti.
“AddisAbaba’sdevelopmentisawindowtothedevelopmenttakingplaceeverywhereinEthiopia,andbyextension,acrossAfrica,”saysKassa.Sheconsidersthecity’sgainsamongthefruitsofAfrica’sdeepeningfriendshipwithChina,whichshehopeswillstrengthenfurtherinthecomingyears.
Thissentimentwasattheheartofatwo-dayeventKassaattendedalongwithfellowmediarepresentatives,delegatesandheadsofnationsfromcountriesallovertheAfricancontinent.FromSeptember3to4,2018,BeijinghostedthethirdsummitoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC).Withthetheme“ChinaandAfrica:TowardanEvenStrongerCommunitywithaSharedFuturethroughWin-winCooperation,”themultilateralsummitbroughttogetherChinaand53AfricancountriesplustheAfricanUnion.
2017:StartupentrepreneursfromAfricancountriesincludingKenya,Ghana,Rwanda,Ethiopia,SouthAfricaandBotswanavisittheheadquartersofAlibabaGroupinHangzhouandmeetJackMa,chairmanofthegroup.VCGThecenterpieceoftheFOCACBeijingSummitwasthe20192021cooperationplanoutlinedbyChinesePresidentXiJinping,whichchartedthepathforChina-Africacooperationoverthenextthreeyearswithfocusoneightkeyareas:industrialpromotion,infrastructureconnectivity,tradefacilitation,greendevelopment,capacitybuilding,healthcare,people-to-peopleexchange,andpeaceandsecurity.AmongthehighlightswereChina’spledgeofUS$60billionoffinancingtoAfricaintheformofgovernmentassistanceaswellasinvestmentandfinancingbyfinancialinstitutionsandcompanies.XicalledonChinesecompaniestoinvestheavilyinAfricaoverthenextthreeyears—atleastUS$10billion,toboostdevelopment.
ThedeclarationthatforAfrica’sleast-developedcountries,heavilyindebtedandpoorcountries,landlockeddevelopingcountriesandsmallislanddevelopingcountriesthathavediplomaticrelationswithChina,debtincurredintheformofinterest-freeChinesegovernmentloans—duetomaturebytheendofthisyear—wouldbeexemptedwasmetwiththunderousapplause.TheannouncementfollowedthroughonthepledgemadeatthelastFOCACsummitinJohannesburg,SouthAfricain2015,atwhichintergovernmentalinterest-freeloansowedbytheleast-developedcountrieswerewaived.
DeborahBrautigam,directoroftheChinaAfricaResearchInitiativeattheJohnsHopkinsUniversitySchoolofAdvancedInternationalStudiesinWashingtonD.C.,analyzedthepledgeofloansandgrantsinareport.ShenotedthatoftheUS$60billionpledged,onlyUS$50billionwouldbeprovidedbytheChinesegovernment.ThedifferencewastobemadeupbyprivateChinesecompanies’investments.Thegovernment-suppliedamountincludedUS$15billionofgrants,interest-freeloansandconcessionalloans,US$20billionofcreditlines,settingupaUS$10billionspecialfundfordevelopmentfinancingandaUS$5billionspecialfundforfinancingimportsfromAfrica.
Thelasttwofundsareunlikelytobeloan-based,notesBrautigam,makingtheremainingamountofUS$35billionlessthanthatpledgedattheJohannesburgsummit:US$40billion.
Shebreaksthenumbersdowninherreport:“ThefirstpledgeofChineseinterest-bearingloanswasin2006(US$5billion).In2009,theloanpledgedoubledtoUS$10billion,andin2012itwasUS$20billion.AtJohannesburgin2015,theChinesepledgedafullUS$35billionininterest-bearingloansofvariouskinds,andanotherUS$5billioningrantsandinterest-freeloans(US$40billionintotal).”
However,theupsideisthatitisactuallyamoreconcessionalpackagethanwhatwasofferedin2015.“China’sforeignaidpledge(grants,interest-freeloans,andconcessionalloans)hasjumpedtoUS$15billion,”Brautigamsays.ThismeansthattheChinesegovernment’sconcessionalassistanceofUS$5billionperyearisofficiallythehighestlevelevergivenbyChinatoAfricatodate.
Acommonlinkacrossalleightkeyinitiativesisthegreaterfocusonbuildingandstrengtheninglocalcapacity.Forinstance,Chinahaspledgedto“sharemoreofitsdevelopmentpracticeswithAfrica”andprovidetrainingtoyoungAfricansalongwithscholarshipsandexchangeprograms.TenLubanworkshopswillbesetup,andChinawillalsohelpopenaChina-Africacooperationcenterto“promoteyouthinnovationandentrepreneurship.”Particularlysignificantinthisregardisthepledgetoincreaseimports,particularlynon-resourceproducts,fromAfrica.
PresidentXialsodeclaredinhiskeynotespeechattheopeningoftheFOCACBeijingSummitthatChinafollowsa“five-no”approachinitsrelationswithAfrica:nointerferenceinAfricancountries’pursuitofdevelopmentpathsthatfittheirnationalconditions;nointerferenceinAfricancountries’internalaffairs;noimpositionofChina’swillonAfricancountries;noattachmentofpoliticalstringstoassistancetoAfrica;andnoseekingofselfishpoliticalgainsininvestmentandfinancingcooperationwithAfrica.Staffersofthe“filmandtelevisioncaravan”bidfarewelltolocalchildreninEthiopia.The“filmandtelevisioncaravan”wasamajorculturalactivitypromotedbyStarTimes,aChinesemediagroup,aimingtobringqualityfilmsandtelevisionprogramstoAfricanviewers.courtesyofStarTimesKeepingwithChina’scalltobuildan“ecologicalcivilization,”FOCAC2018Summit,liketheprevioussummit,ensuredenvironmentalcooperationwashighontheagenda.Aspartofa“greendevelopmentinitiative,”theChinesegovernmentwillbeundertaking50projectsforgreendevelopmentandecologicalandenvironmentalprotectioninAfricatoexpandexchangeandcooperationwiththecontinentonclimatechange,ocean,desertificationpreventionandcontrolandwildlifeprotection.“ChinawillworkwithAfricatopursuegreen,low-carbon,circularandsustainabledevelopmentandprotectourlushmountainsandlucidwatersandalllivingbeingsonourplanet,”saidXi.“LetusbuildaChina-Africacommunitywithasharedfuturethatpromotesharmonybetweenmanandnature.”
AsChinaandAfricacontinueworkingmorecloselytogether,somethingsshouldbekeptinmindtoensuretherelationshipreachesitsmaximumpotential,opinedjournalistKometaRichardKwangfromCameroon.“Efficientmanagementofresourcesiskey.ResourcesfromChinausedbyAfricaneedtobeutilizedwellinordertoimprovethelivingconditionsofthepeopleofAfricancountries.InfrastructuresetupbyChinesecompaniesmustbeproperlymaintained,andpropertrainingforitshouldcontinueforthelocalworkforce.”
KwanghasbeencoveringFOCACsinceitsfirstsummitinBeijingin2006.“TheForumlaidthefoundationfordevelopmentandcooperationbetweenChinaandAfricancountries,”hesaid.“Numerousprojectswerelaunched,especiallytrainingprograms.ManyyoungpeoplefromCameroonandotherAfricancountrieswenttoChinathroughseveralexchangeprogramsthatemerged.TheForumhassinceexpandedgreatlyinscopeandscale.”
TheimprovementofChina-Africa’stieshasresultedinwin-winoutcomesforboth,saidjournalistEdgarCueva,whowascoveringtheForumforCGTN’sSpanishplatform.“ThecoreideabehindFOCACistobuildamutuallybeneficialrelationshipbetweenChinaandtheAfricancountries—butithastobebalanced.Itspotentialisimmenseanditsimpactisnotlimitedjusttothetwopartiesinvolvedbutisalsosignificantonaglobalscale.”
IndianpoliticalanalystandcommentatorSudheendraKulkarnicautionedagainstglobalcompetitionarisingoutofbuildingarelationshipwithAfrica,whichcouldendupbeingexploitativeandharmfulforthecontinent.“Africadoesn’tneedrivals;itneedscountriesworkingtogetherinharmony,”hesays.“Thisrelationshiphastobebornoutofagenuinedesiretobuildasynergistic,mutuallyrespectfulbond.AndChina,withFOCAC,hascreatedasolidfoundationforthis.”