China has always been a sincere friend in promoting the development of the African continent (International Forum)

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation. Under the promotion of mechanisms such as the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, cooperation between Africa and China has achieved fruitful results and has become a model for global cooperation in the South. At the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation held last year, the overall orientation of Africa China relations was upgraded to an all-weather Africa China community of common destiny in the new era, and Africa China relations are at their best in history. The continuous improvement of cooperation mechanisms and expansion of cooperation areas between Africa and China have brought unprecedented opportunities for African countries.

I have served as the Deputy Country Director of the United Nations Development Programme, responsible for promoting cooperation between the Programme and China. I have noticed that with the promotion of the "the Belt and Road" initiative in the African continent and the vitality of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation and other mechanisms, the cooperation between African countries and China in infrastructure construction, economic and trade exchanges and other fields has become increasingly close. With a large number of Chinese companies investing in Africa, more and more African countries are actively participating in Africa China cooperation. In 2024, the trade volume between Africa and China reached nearly 300 billion US dollars, and China maintained its position as Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years. At present, I am maintaining cooperation with a group of scholars from China and African countries, as well as with African embassies, private chambers of commerce, and other institutions in China, to enhance mutual understanding and contribute wisdom to the development of Africa China relations. Since 2019, we have participated in every China Africa Economic and Trade Expo, setting up booths to promote African specialty products. We actively negotiate with Chinese e-commerce platforms to settle in and promote "Made in Africa", allowing more African companies to share the dividends of the Chinese market. At the 2025 Autumn/Winter Shanghai Fashion Week, I brought 22 designer brands from 12 African countries to Shanghai to showcase the charm of the African fashion industry to Chinese audiences.

Looking back at the history of China Africa cooperation, a distinctive feature is that China will fully consider the needs and capabilities of African countries and carry out targeted cooperation on the basis of mutual respect. Taking infrastructure construction as an example, most African countries are at a critical stage of development and revitalization, and improving infrastructure conditions is a common expectation and urgent desire of African countries. Improving infrastructure can significantly enhance regional connectivity, provide employment, improve people's livelihoods, and create favorable conditions for economic and social development. Over the years, China has helped African countries build and upgrade nearly 100000 kilometers of roads, over 10000 kilometers of railways, nearly a thousand bridges, and nearly a hundred ports, effectively promoting Africa's industrialization and modernization process. China's cooperation is driven by the needs of Africa, which also prompts other countries to consider the needs of African countries more when carrying out cooperation with Africa. Driven by China, more countries have expressed their willingness to listen to the voices of Africa and establish equal partnerships.

Some Western politicians and media hype up the so-called "debt trap" when talking about Africa China cooperation, which is unfounded. China has always been a sincere friend in promoting the development of the African continent, always appearing at the time and place where African countries need it the most, effectively enhancing the endogenous development momentum of African countries. When African countries face difficulties, China supports reducing their debt burden and actively implements the G20's initiative to temporarily suspend debt repayment for the poorest countries. Among the members of the G20, China has the largest amount of deferred debt.

After years of baptism, Africa China cooperation has become even more vibrant. Currently, unilateralism and protectionism, such as raising tariff barriers, have cast a shadow over the world economy. As important members of the global South, Africa and China should jointly defend true multilateralism, maintain an open and inclusive multilateral trading system, respond to the uncertainty of global changes with the stability of Africa China relations, and promote continued breakthroughs in Africa China cooperation.

(Author: Hannah Reid, former Deputy Country Director of the United Nations Development Programme and CEO of Kenya's Rayna New International Consulting)

People's Daily (August 18, 2025, Issue 03)