IthasbeennearlyfouryearssincetheChinese
GovernmentfirstproposedtheBeltandRoadInitiative.Inthistime,theinitiativehasgrownintoChina鈥檚callingcardofpeacefuldevelopmentandhasbeenwidelyreceivedworldwide.Thankstoitsopennessandinclusiveness,theinitiativehasspreadbeyondthecountriesandregionsalongtheBeltandRoadroutestoinvolvemorethan100countriesandinternationalorganizations.Africa,acontinentwithrichresources,hugemarketpotentialandrobustdemandsforinfrastructureconstruction,isincludedintheBeltandRoadInitiative.Thecontinent鈥檚developmentambitionsarethereforeinsynergywiththisinitiativeasitgraspstheopportunitytoadvancemodernizationandindustrialization.TheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC),anenginedrivingSino-Africancooperationsinceitsestablishmentin2000,isincreasinglyintegratingwiththeBeltandRoadInitiativeintermsofphilosophyandmechanism,andisplayingaleadingroleinChina-Africapartnershipasacooperationmechanism.
Workingtogether
Fromtheoutset,FOCAChasbeenplayingasignificantroleinadvancingthecomprehensivestrategicpartnershipbetweenChinaandAfrica.Althoughitwasproposed13yearsearlierthantheBeltandRoadInitiative,FOCAChaskeptabreastofnewdevelopmentsinChina,Africaandtheglobalcommunityinordertostrengthenitsframework.Newphilosophiesandmechanismstofurtherdeepenthebilateralcooperationwereproposedandadoptedoverthetime.
ChinesePresidentXiJinpingpledgedtorollout10majorplanstoboostcooperationwithAfricaattheJohannesburgSummitofFOCACheldinSouthAfricainDecember2015.Theplancoveredimportantareassuchasindustrialization,agriculturalmodernization,infrastructure,financialservicesandpeople-topeopleexchanges.InJuly2016,Chinaputforwardfivemajorcooperationconceptsofcommon,intensive,green,safeandopendevelopmentattheCoordinators鈥橫eetingontheImplementationoftheFollow-upActionsoftheFOCACJohannesburgSummit,whichwerehailedbyAfricanparticipants.Theconceptshavebeenguidingbilateralcooperationeversince.
Theconceptofcommondevelopmentspecificallycallsforwin-wincooperationbetweenthetwosides,morphingChina鈥檚developmentwiththatofAfrica鈥檚.
Theintensivedevelopmentaimsforsustainablecooperation.Insteadofblindlyinvestinginprojects,ChinaandAfricawillworktogethertobuildpilotindustrialzonesthatwillproducesustainableprofitsandsocialbenefits,andthenapplythesuccessfulmodelstootherplaces.
Torealizegreendevelopment,productioncapacitycooperationbetweenChinaandAfricashouldbeconductedonthepremiseofpreservingAfrica鈥檚ecologicalenvironment.Noenergy-intensiveindustrieswithhighpollutionorobsoleteindustrialcapacityshouldbetransferredtoAfrica.
Thesafedevelopmenttargetspromotingpeaceandsecurityonthecontinentthroughadvancingitseconomy.ItmirrorsChina鈥檚outlookonworldsecurity.
TheconceptofopendevelopmentshowsChinaAfricacooperationisopenandinclusiveandthatChinawelcomestheglobalcommunitytoparticipateinthiscooperation.
Therefore,thefivemajorconceptsforChina-AfricacooperationundertheFOCACframeworkareconsistentwiththatoftheBeltandRoadInitiative,whichpromotespolicycoordination,andfacilitiesconnectivity,unimpededtrade,financialintegrationandpeople-to-peoplebondsasthefivemajorgoals.
Intermsofmechanism,FOCACistheregionalcooperationmechanismtocarryouttheBeltandRoadInitiativeinAfrica.AlongwithregionalmultilateralcooperationmechanismssuchasShanghaiCooperationOrganization,China-ASEANSummit,Asia-PacificEconomicCooperationandChina-ArabStatesCooperationForum,FOCACispromotingtheimplementationandadvancementoftheinitiativeinAfrica.
Exemplarycooperation
The16-yearpracticeshowsthatFOCACisnotatalkshop,butaneffectiveplatformforChinaandAfricancountriestoexchangegovernanceexperience,enhancemutualtrustandconductpragmaticcooperation.FOCAChashadmuchsuccessinregardstotrade,investment,infrastructureconstructionanddevelopmentassistance.
ChinahasbeenAfrica鈥檚largesttradingpartnerforsevenconsecutiveyears.Bilateraltradeamountedto$149.2billionin2016.AfricaisalsothethirdlargestdestinationofChina鈥檚overseasinvestmentandthesecondlargestmarketofChina鈥檚overseasengineeringcontracts.Bymid-2016,China鈥檚investmentinAfricahadexceeded$100billionwith3,100ChinesebusinessesinAfrica.StudentsatConfuciusInstituteatUniversityofLagos,Nigeria,singChinesesongsattheopeningceremonyofChineseBridgeZHANGWEIYIPeople-to-peoplebondbetweenChinaandAfricancountriesarebecomingcloser.Since2000,ChinahasassistedAfricainbuildingmorethan120educationalfacilities,nearly40farmlandirrigationprojectsandmorethan70medicalfacilities,providedartemisininmedicationofmalariafor3,800people,sent7,000medicalworkersand2,000agriculturalexperts,aswellastrained80,000professionalsfor50Africannationsandregionalorganizations.Inaddition,Chinaestablished37ConfuciusInstitutesand10ConfuciusClassroomsin31countriesinAfrica.Itisestimatedthatthereareatleast1millionChineseworkingorlivinginAfrica.Chinaisalsoreceivingmoreandmorestudentsandbusinesspeoplefromthecontinent.
BymeansoftheBeltandRoadInitiative,themechanismofFOCACisonceagainspearheadingChina-Africacooperationbypromotingtrafficconnectivityandadvancingcooperationonproductioncapacity.Withtheinitiative,investmentwenttotrafficinfrastructureprojectsandwillfacilitateeffortsofindustrializationandmodernization,whichwillcontributetohelpingAfricarealizeitsaspirationforregionalintegration.ThisisnotonlytheresponsibilityofChinathatregardsAfricaasitspartnerfordevelopment,butalsotherequirementsofupgradingandtransformingtheirbilateraleconomicandtradecooperation.
TheFOCACJohannesburgSummitplacedAfrica鈥檚industrializationasapriorityandsetupChina-AfricaIndustrialCapacityCooperationFundwiththeinitialcapitalof$10billion.Chinaalsopledgedtooffer$5billionofadditionalcapitalfortheChina-AfricaDevelopmentFundandtheSpecialLoanfortheDevelopmentofAfricanSmallandMedium-sizedEnterprisesrespectively.
Currently,effortsonbilateralcooperationonproductioncapacityhavebeenrewarded.Africa鈥檚firstinternationalmodernelectrifiedrailwayconnectingthecapitalsofEthiopiaandDjiboutiwasputintooperationinOctober2016.Thisyear,therailwaylinkingMombasaandNairobiwillalsobecompleted.Inaddition,constructionofindustrialparksandeconomiccorridorsalongtherailwaysisalsoadvancingsmoothly.
Statisticsshowthatupto245dealsworth$50.75billionhavebeensignedsincetheFOCACJohannesburgSummit.About91.73percentofthisfigureisfromChinesebusinesses鈥檇irectinvestmentandcommercialloansprovidedtoAfrica.China鈥檚assistancetoAfricaandpreferentialloansonlytakeabout7.31percentofthetotaldeals.Judgingfromthese,thestructureofChina-Africacooperationisbeingupgradedfromdrivenbygovernmentassistancetobusinessesinvestmentandfinancingcooperation,fromcommoditytradetocooperationonproductioncapacity,andfromengineeringcontractprojectstofinancialcooperation.
TheBeltandRoadInitiativeisbringingrealchangestoAfricabecauseitissupportedbytheregionalcooperationmechanismofFOCAC,andmeetsthedemandsofthecontinent.Inthefuture,FOCACcanbeanexemplaryparadigmforcooperationundertheinitiativeandfunctionasaregionalmechanismoftheBeltandRoadInitiativetomakegreatercontributiontoSouth-Northdialogue,South-Southcooperationandpovertyalleviationanddevelopmentofemergingeconomies.
(TheauthorisaseniorresearcherattheCharharInstituteandseniorresearchfellowoftheInstituteofWest-AsianandAfricanStudies,ChineseAcademyofSocialSciences)