The 13th session of the China Africa Think Tank Forum was held to contribute wisdom to promoting friendly cooperation between China and Africa (China Africa Cooperation in the New Era)

The 13th session of the China Africa Think Tank Forum was recently held in the port city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with the theme of "Building a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity in China Africa Practice.". More than 300 representatives from international organizations stationed in Tanzania, diplomatic envoys, government officials from 50 countries in China and Africa, think tank scholars, entrepreneurs, and others attended the conference through a combination of online and offline channels. The attendees focused on exploring the cooperation mechanisms, strategic measures, and practical actions between China and Africa in the fields of industrialization, agricultural modernization, and talent cultivation, contributing wisdom to promoting friendly cooperation between China and Africa.
"The Africa China Cooperation Forum has promoted the vigorous development of Africa China relations"
Currently, China and Africa are working together to accelerate the implementation of the nine projects of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, and to promote the realization of the 2035 Vision for China Africa Cooperation. The new session of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation will be held in China this autumn. As one of the important sub forums of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, the China Africa Think Tank Forum provides suggestions and suggestions for the development of cooperation between China and Africa. The attendees highly praised the achievements of China Africa cooperation and looked forward to further deepening cooperation between the two sides.
Nelson Bonifas, Executive President of the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, said that the Africa China Think Tank Forum is an important communication platform for civil exchanges between Africa and China. Many topics such as industrialization, agricultural modernization, green development, trade and investment, and poverty eradication have received sufficient attention and discussion at the forum, providing strong guarantees for enhancing Tanzania China cooperation and Africa China cooperation.
Former Foreign Minister Ezehir Nibigira of Burundi has participated in FOCAC meetings for many times. He said, "I feel the unity of both sides in Africa China cooperation. Africa China relations are developed based on the principle of mutual benefit and win-win." Nibijila called for the continuation of traditional friendship between Africa and China, the enhancement of mutual trust between Africa and China, and the strengthening of win-win cooperation between Africa and China.
"The Forum on Africa China Cooperation has promoted the vigorous development of Africa China relations and is conducive to promoting the construction of a community with a shared future between Africa and China." James Mdoge, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Technology of Tanzania, stated that among the "nine projects", measures related to capacity building projects have effectively promoted education cooperation between Africa and China and talent cultivation in Africa. The 2023 Africa China Leaders Dialogue was held, and China proposed three measures: launching the "Support for African Industrialization Initiative", implementing the "China Assistance for African Agricultural Modernization Plan", and the "China Africa Talent Training Cooperation Plan" to support African integration and modernization construction. These measures will make important contributions to promoting African economic development.
Gilbert Mugouli Kadiagara, Director of the African American Studies Center at Kingsoft University in South Africa, stated that peace and development are the themes of today's era, and security is crucial for Africa's development. I hope that the upcoming Forum on Africa China Cooperation will make new contributions to promoting security and stability in Africa. The success of the Forum on Africa China Cooperation cannot be separated from the efforts of the past years. The continued cooperation between Africa and China will lay a solid foundation for building a high-level community with a shared future.

"African countries can learn from China's development experience"

At this conference, Chinese and African scholars delved into the major issues and challenges facing the world, proposed common solutions, and released the "Consensus of China Africa Think Tank on Deepening Global Development Cooperation", also known as the "China Africa Dar es Salaam Consensus". The consensus calls on the international community to deepen development cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect, unity and cooperation, openness and win-win, and common prosperity; Propose to adhere to the development concept of putting the people at the center, and create a good institutional environment for everyone to pursue a better life; Emphasis should be placed on strengthening dialogue among civilizations rather than conflicts, respecting the historical and cultural traditions and basic national conditions of different ethnic groups, and supporting countries in pursuing modernization paths that meet their own development requirements and possess their own cultural characteristics.
"The people who lend a helping hand to you when there is a need are true friends," said Paul Frimpon, Executive Director of the African China Policy Advisory Center, a think tank in Ghana. China is a responsible partner. Under the mechanism of the Forum on Africa China Cooperation and the framework of jointly building the "the Belt and Road", bilateral cooperation has strongly promoted Africa's economic and social development.
"China has always supported the independent development of African countries and is willing to share its experience in governance, modernization, poverty eradication, and other aspects with African countries." Sheriff, Chairman of the Liberia China Friendship Association, said that in the past few decades, China has continuously dispatched medical teams, agricultural experts, and other medical teams to African countries, effectively promoting the development of African healthcare, agriculture, and talent cultivation.
According to Felice Johnson, founder and senior researcher of the Southern Africa Research and Documentation Center in Zimbabwe, Africa and China share similar historical experiences and common historical missions. African countries can learn from China and create a unique development model for Africa. Africa and China have established a solid foundation for cooperation in many fields, and the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement will also bring greater opportunities for Africa China cooperation.
Khalid Hames, a professor at the School of Law, Economics and Social Sciences at Mohammed V University in Morocco, stated that African China cooperation is based on mutual respect. The African side should continue to learn from China's development experience, strengthen infrastructure construction such as railways and highways, and develop higher education and digital economy.
Norris, executive president of the University of Botswana, said: "African countries can learn from China's development experience, promote economic growth, improve social governance, and explore development paths suitable for African countries."
"Promoted the development of infrastructure in Africa and strengthened regional connectivity"
Africa is one of the important participants in the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road". African countries have actively responded to the "the Belt and Road" initiative. 52 African countries and the AU Commission have signed relevant cooperation documents with China. African experts attending the meeting believed that under the guidance of the practical cooperation initiatives of the Forum on Africa China Cooperation, Africa China joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" has achieved fruitful results, and Africa China relations have maintained a good momentum of development.
"Over the past decade, Africa China relations have continued to develop, laying a more solid foundation for bilateral cooperation." Majid Rifat Abumagad, former assistant vice minister of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" has improved the level of national infrastructure, promoted connectivity and trade exchanges, and has become a cause that benefits the world and has far-reaching impact.
Last October, Gedeon Gerata, CEO of the Ethiopian International Centre of Excellence, went to Beijing to participate in the third "the Belt and Road" International Cooperation Summit Forum. He very much appreciated China's support for the eight initiatives to jointly build the "the Belt and Road" with high quality. He said that under the framework of the FOCAC mechanism and the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", a series of projects carried out by Africa China cooperation "have promoted the development of infrastructure in Africa and strengthened regional connectivity".
"The joint construction of the 'the Belt and Road' has strongly promoted the development of Comoros's blue economy." Mohammed Omar Rashid, the foreign affairs adviser of the Comoros Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said that Comoros is an island country, and the development of the blue economy is crucial. Investment from China has made a significant contribution to the economic development of Comoros, greatly promoting marine aquaculture, deep-sea fisheries, seafood processing, marine biopharmaceutics The development of marine tourism services and clean energy such as solar, wind, and tidal energy.
"China is a reliable and important partner," said Liliana Andia Lisimo Angpo, Executive Director of the Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) Center for International Strategy and Security Studies. The practical cooperation between Congo and China in many fields such as infrastructure, economy and trade, energy, agriculture, and health has achieved tangible results, effectively benefiting the local people. Last October, the Busanga hydropower station, invested and constructed by Chinese enterprises, was officially completed, greatly contributing to the economic development of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Beda Mutagaiwa, Dean of the School of Engineering at the University of St. Augustine in Tanzania, said that practical cooperation between Africa and China in various fields has continued to deepen in recent years, and African countries continue to learn from China's development experience. I hope that African countries and China can further strengthen cooperation in cultivating talents, promoting industrialization, and rural development.