Time-testedStaunchFriends
ChinaandAfricaaregoodfriendsandpartnerswithlong-standingsolidarityandcooperation.Chinahasbeensteadfastandcommittedtotherelationship.Overthepast60yearssincethePeople’sRepublicofChinawasfoundedin1949,ChineseandAfricanpeoplehavestoodtogetherthroughthickandthin.Thefriendshipremainsunshakeableandbecomeevenfirmerwithtime.Inthe1950sand1960s,ChinaofferedsubstantialsupporttoAfricanpeople’sfightfornationalliberationandindependence,despiteofitsownhardships.AsAfricanstatescontinuedtocementeconomicandpoliticalindependence,Chinacontinuedtocontributewithinitsmeans.Similarly,ChinesepeoplewillneverforgetAfrica’ssupportforChinainsafeguardingitsnationalsovereigntyandindependence,especiallywhenitworkedtorestoreitslegitimateseatintheUN.Suchalong-standingfriendshipistheunbreakablefoundationofChinaAfricarelationsandthesourceofrobustvitalityforaChina-Africacommunitywithasharedfuture.OnJuly24,participantsandguestsatthe5thChina-AfricaPeople’sForuminChengdubrainstormandexchangeideas.Basedonthis,thefirstministerialmeetingofFOCACwasheldinBeijingunderajointinitiativeinOctober2000.TheFOCACofficiallybecameanexclusiveplatformforChinatohavecollectivedialogueandmutuallybeneficialcooperationwithAfricancountriesandthelargestandmosteffectiveplatformforSouth-Southcooperation.
Over18years,remarkableresultshavebeenaccomplishedinChina-Africapragmaticcooperation.China-Africatradeexpanded17-foldin2017comparedwith2000,andChina’sinvestmentinAfricaskyrocketed100-fold.ChinaiscontributingmoreandmoretoAfricaneconomicgrowth.TheFOCACisalsowidelyacknowledgedasexemplaryinSouthSouthcooperationandinternationalpartnershipswithAfrica.AswasstronglydemandedbythemembersofFOCAC,the2018meetingwasupgradedtoasummit.
StrongerRelationsintheNewEra
Inthenewera,ChinaisintensifyingeffortsinfurtheringitsrelationswithAfrica.WhenPresidentXiJinpingassumedofficein2013,hechoseAfricaasthefirststopofhisstatevisits.In2018,PresidentXiagainvisitedfourAfricanstatesinhisfirstoverseastoursinceherenewedhistermofoffice,stressingthattheoverallcooperationwithAfricannationsisChina’sstrategicchoice.AttheFOCACJohannesburgSummitinDecember2015,PresidentXiputforwardfivepillarstocementChina-Africarelationand10majorcooperationplansinthenextthreeyears.Theyaimedtoaddresstheissuesofpoorinfrastructureaswellasinsufficienttalentsorfunding,andtoaccelerateindustrializationandagriculturalmodernizationinanattempttorealizeindependentsustainabledevelopmentinAfrica.
Withjointefforts,China-Africarelationshavebeenupgradedtoacomprehensivestrategicpartner-ship.Inthepoliticalarea,highlevelexchangesbetweenChinaandAfricaaremorefrequent.Inthepastfiveyears,PresidentXipaidfourstatevisitstoAfrica,andmorethan60AfricanheadsofstateandgovernmentvisitedChinaorcametoChinaforinternationalmeetings.ThereciprocalvisitsandexchangesprovidepoliticalguidanceforfutureChina-Africarelations.
TheeconomiesofChinaandAfricancountriesaregettingdeeplyinterwoven.ChinahasbeenAfrica’slargesttradepartnerfornineconsecutiveyears.In2017,thetradevolumeamountedtoUS$170billion.Withover3,100ChinesecompaniesoperatinginAfrica,ChinahasinvestedmorethanUS$100billioninthecontinent.WithconstructionandoperationoftheAddisAbaba-DjiboutiRailwayandtheMombasaNairobiStandardGaugeRailwayontrack,ChinaiscontributingtoAfrica’seconomicgrowth,employment,industrialization,andmodernization.
Theboomingpeople-to-peopleexchangesarealsoinspiring.Asanimportantbirthplaceoftheworld’scivilizations,Africahasadiverseculture.Thetwoancientcivilizationsreinforceeachotherinmutuallearningwithpeople-to-peopleexchanges,whichplaceemphasisonlocalizationandthepeople.ItsignalsthatChina-Africarelationsaregrowingonanequalfooting.Annually,Chinahostedsome30culturaleventsand50people-to-peopleexchangeprogramsinAfrica.Directexchangesbetweenthinktanks,universities,media,andnon-governmentalorganizationshavebeeninstitutionalized,furtherpromotingmutualunderstandingbetweenpeoples.
China-Africacooperationinpeaceandsecurityisstrengthening.ChinafirmlysupportsAfricainbuildingitscapacityforindependentlymaintainingpeaceandstability,includingitseffortsinlaunchingtheAfricanStandbyForceandtheAfricanCapacityfortheImmediateResponsetoCrisis.AmongthefivepermanentmembersoftheUNSecurityCouncil,ChinasendsthemostpeacekeeperstoAfrica.Ittakesaproactiveroleinanti-piracyoperationsinSomaliaandhaddispatched29fleetsforescortmissions.ChinaalsoplaysanactivepartinsolvingsensitiveissuesinAfrica,liketheSouthSudanissue,throughdiplomaticmediation.IamsopleasedtoseethattheSino-AfricanrelationshavebroughttangiblebenefitstobothsidesandalsoincreasedattentionandinvestmenttoAfricafromtheinternationalcommunity.TheBeltandRoadInitiativeWarmlyWelcomed
In2013,PresidentXiproposedtheBeltandRoadInitiativetopromoteconnectivitythroughinfrastructureconstructionamonginvolvedcountriesandaligneachother’sdevelopmentstrategiesforcommongrowth.TheinitiativewaswarmlywelcomedbyAfricancountriesthatarekeenonworkingwithChinaundertheframework.China,foritspart,wantstoinjectnewvitalitytoChina-AfricacooperationandupgradethemutuallybeneficialcomprehensivestrategicpartnershiptoanewlevelthroughpromotingtheBeltandRoadInitiative.WhilepreparingforthisBeijingSummit,thetwosidesreachedaconsensusonhighlightingthisinitiative.
Inthepastfiveyears,theinitiativehasevolvedfromaspirationtoactions,becomingthemostpopularpublicgoodsintheinternationalcommunity.Chinahassealedagreementswith86countriesandinternationalorganizationsincarryingouttheinitiative,manyofwhicharefromAfrica.ThecontinentisanindispensablepartoftheancientSilkRoadasexplorerZhengHefromtheMingDynasty(1368-1644)leftbothsideswithcherishedmemories.Now,itshouldneverbeabsentinrenewingthegrandinitiative.Africaisacontinentwiththemostdevelopingcountriesaswellasthegreatestdevelopmentpotential.TheBeltandRoadInitiativeisnotjustaboutinfrastructure,butanewpathtothefuturethroughinnovation,withwhichAfricawillbeenabledtopeacefullyrisetoamajorforceinthenewworldorder.
InsynergywithAfricancountries’nationaldevelopmentstrategies,theAfricanUnion2063AgendaandtheUN2030SustainableDevelopmentGoals,theBeltandRoadInitiativeisinjectingrobustvitalitytoAfricangrowthandpushingforwarditsindustrialization.Recently,ChinahasvalidatedtheinitiativewithprojectsinvarioussectorsofAfricasuchaspovertyalleviation,foodsecurity,innovation,infrastructureconstruction,andindustrialization.About10yearsago,80percentofChina’simportsfromAfricawerecrudeoilandrawmaterials.Now,theproportionhasshrunkto53percent,indicatingthatbusinessesacrosstheworldareoptimisticabouttheprospectsoftheAfricaneconomyandtransferringmanufacturingindustriestothecontinentforitscheaplabor.
OnApril6,2018,the26thChinesenavyconvoyfleetreplenishessuppliesenroutetotheGulfofAdenandthewatersoffSomalia.Withcomplementaryeconomies,ChinaandAfricaarepromotingcooperationinvarioussectors,especiallyfocusingoncooperationonindustrialcapacity.Thepartnershiphasexpandedtothehinterlandfromthecoastalregions,facilitatingthediversificationandupgradeoftheAfricaneconomyandimprovingthelivelihoodofthousandsofpeoplebycreatingjobs.Withjointefforts,theSino-Africancomprehensivestrategicpartnershiphasbeenembodiedinmultipleareasandlevelsfortheinterestsoftensofmillionsofpeople.ChinawillcontinuetosupportAfrica’srevitalizationeffortsbyadheringtotheprinciplesofsincerity,practicalresults,affinity,andgoodfaith.
EmbracingaCommunitywithaSharedFuture
Inthenewcentury,themulti-polarization,economicglobalization,andculturaldiversificationcontinue,resultinginaninternationalcommunitywithinterwoveninterestsanddeeperinterdependence.Nocountrycanwallitselfofffromtheconsequencesofasluggishworldeconomy,wideningincomedisparitybetweentherichandthepoor,frequentregionalturmoil,andrampantterrorism.Toaddresstheissuesthroughcooperation,PresidentXiputforwardbuildinganewtypeofinternationalrelationsandacommunitywithasharedfutureformankind.TheideaiswidelyrecognizedintheinternationalcommunityandwasincorporatedinaUNdocument.
PromotingtheChina-Africacommunityforasharedfutureandwin-wincooperationisactingonthecallofbuildingacommunitywithasharedfutureformankind.Auniquemodelforcooperationinlinewiththehistoricaltrendandtherealitiesofthetwosideshastakenshape.Theyaresincerepartnersindevelopmentandworkforcommonprosperitythroughwin-wincooperation.Beingdevelopingeconomies,ChinaandAfricasharecommoninterests,demands,andaspirationsininternationalaffairs.Theyarenaturalallies.Atpresent,Sino-Africanrelationsarewellpositionedatanewstartingpoint.AsPresidentXiputitwhenfinishinghisstatevisitstofourAfricannationsinlateJuly,“ChinaandAfricaconstituteacommunitywithasharedfutureandsharedintereststhroughwinwincooperation.Nomatterwhatchangestakeplaceintheinternationalsituationandnomatterhowitseconomydevelops,ChinawillstandfirmwiththedevelopingnationsandbeasincereandtrustworthyfriendforAfrica.”
Whenthelargestdevelopingcountryandthecontinentwiththemostdevelopingnationsmaintainclosepartnerships,and2.5billionpeoplejoinhands,boththeChineseandAfricanpeoplesareboundtoenjoytangiblebenefits.TheChina-Africacommunity,withasharedfuture,willexertapositiveinfluenceontheworld.TheFOCACBeijingSummitwillfurtherconsolidateChina-AfricarelationsatanewhistoricalstartingpointandacceleratethebuildingoftheChina-Africacommunitywithasharedfuture,whichisconstructivetoworldpeaceandprosperityandthebuildingofthecommunitywithasharedfutureformankind.
ChinesepeoplewillneverforgetAfrica’ssupportforChinainsafeguardingitsnationalsovereigntyandindependence,especiallywhenitworkedtorestoreitslegitimateseatintheUN.
TheBeltandRoadInitiativeisinjectingrobustvitalitytoAfricangrowthandpushforwarditsindustrialization.