Africa China cooperation has achieved tangible results | International Forum

The Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation in 2024 will attract worldwide attention. Through this summit, both Africa and China will further strengthen cooperation and work together to build a high-level Africa China community with a shared future.

Africa actively participates in China's global development initiatives. So far, the total number of projects in the global development project library has exceeded 1000, with over 500 completed and ongoing projects, of which more than one-third have benefited African countries. The Global Development and South South Cooperation Fund provides important support for Africa and other developing countries to promote sustainable development. China will upgrade and increase the fund to 4 billion US dollars, which will better promote international cooperation in areas such as poverty reduction, public health, human resources, food security, digital connectivity, and green development.

The "Trade Promotion Project" is an important part of the "Nine Projects" of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation. In 2023, the trade volume between China and Africa reached 282.1 billion US dollars, an increase of nearly 11% compared to 2021. As of the end of June this year, China has implemented zero tariffs on 98% of taxable products originating from 27 least developed countries in Africa. China has established a "green channel" for African agricultural products to be exported to China, and has signed 22 entry agreements for agricultural products to be exported to China with 14 African countries. These measures weave a dense network of economic and trade cooperation between Africa and China, effectively promoting the economic development of Africa.

In terms of investment, as of the end of 2023, China's stock of direct investment in Africa exceeds 40 billion US dollars, making it one of the main sources of foreign investment in Africa. In the past three years, Chinese enterprises have invested in and built economic and trade cooperation zones in Africa, covering industries such as agriculture, processing and manufacturing, and commercial logistics, attracting more than a thousand enterprises to settle in and making important contributions to local tax revenue and export earnings. With the establishment of the China Africa Private Investment Promotion Platform and the China Africa Cross border RMB Center, financial cooperation between the two sides continues to advance, supporting sustainable development in Africa.

Green development is a common pursuit between Africa and China. Africa actively implements the "China Africa Green Innovation Plan" and the "China Africa Green Ambassador Plan", and supports the construction of the "African Green Great Wall". Chinese enterprises are assisting in the construction of renewable energy projects in Africa, such as the Zonglu Hydropower Station in Nigeria and the Sakai Photovoltaic Power Station in the Central African Republic. These projects contribute to promoting green and low-carbon transformation in Africa.

China supports the development of agriculture in Africa through various measures and helps promote poverty reduction in Africa. The "Poverty Alleviation and Agriculture Benefiting Project" under the framework of the "Nine Projects" initiated 47 poverty reduction and agricultural projects including agricultural technical assistance to Malawi, Burundi and Cote d'Ivoire, gave full play to the role of 24 agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa, sent more than 500 agricultural experts, and provided nearly 700 million yuan of emergency food aid to more than 30 countries, including Djibouti, Gambia and Mali.

Capacity building has always been an important component of Africa China cooperation. China has joined hands with Africa to launch the "African Student Employment Express" campaign, set up multiple scholarship programs, established the South South Cooperation and Development Institute, and built 17 Luban workshops in Africa, cultivating a large number of high skilled talents for African countries.

At present, all aid and development cooperation projects for Africa under the "Nine Projects" have been implemented, making positive contributions to supporting the economic and social development of Africa and effectively promoting the development of Africa China relations. The facts fully demonstrate that Africa China cooperation has achieved tangible results and benefited the people of Africa and China.

(Author Busani Ngqawi is the Dean of the National School of Administration in South Africa; Editor in Chief: Li Xinyi, Liu Hui)