The Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation in 2024 has recently concluded. This summit summarized the historical experience of China Africa friendship, clarified the direction and implementation path of China Africa joint efforts to promote modernization, and led the global South towards progress.
The summit adopted two outcome documents, the Beijing Declaration on Building an all-weather China Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era and the Beijing Action Plan of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (2025-2027), which consolidate the consensus between China and Africa on major issues such as jointly promoting modernization and building a high-level China Africa community with a shared future. They plan the implementation path of high-quality cooperation between China and Africa in the next three years, and provide direction for deepening cooperation between China and Africa in the next step.
The emblem of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, “Embracing Hands,” symbolizes unity, cooperation, and progress hand in hand, which is fully reflected in the fruitful results of this summit. The international community highly praises this summit and believes that the Forum on China Africa Cooperation has become an important platform for the Chinese and African peoples to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, and to practice the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. The fruitful achievements of this summit not only provide direction and blueprint for the common development of China and Africa, but also inject strong strength into the modernization of the global South.
Leading International Cooperation with Africa Like a Bright Lamp
The summit has put forward forward-looking plans that are crucial for promoting the next stage of cooperation between Africa and China, “said Ikena Emewu, editor in chief of Nigeria’s” Africa China Economy “magazine, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency. The summit is of great significance and has yielded rich results. The next frontier of Africa China cooperation is not only infrastructure construction, but also development experience sharing, especially governance experience sharing. This summit will be a new starting point for Africa China cooperation
The logo of the 2024 Forum on China Africa Cooperation Summit was captured near the Beijing National Convention Center on September 1st. Photo by Ren Chao, Xinhua News Agency reporter
Joseph Mutaboba, an expert in international relations and foreign affairs in Rwanda who studies Africa China relations and China’s development policies, noticed that one of the ten major partnership actions for China and Africa to jointly promote modernization is to give 100% tariff free treatment to products from the least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China. He said that China has played a positive role in helping African goods enter the international market. Through measures such as tariff exemptions, the scale of African commodity exports will significantly expand, especially in key areas such as agriculture and textiles. This will promote the economic development of Africa and help Africa further integrate into the global economy.
The progress of Africa is a necessary part of human progress. How can we help Africa develop and support its self-improvement? Many international figures have gained a deeper observation and understanding of the cooperation between China and Africa from this summit.
Abdul Aziz Shabani, a researcher at the Riyadh Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Saudi Arabia, said that from the “Ten Cooperation Plans,” “Eight Actions,” and “Nine Projects,” to the latest achievements of this summit, China has shown the international community an important experience, which is that cooperation with Africa cannot be implemented in a “one size fits all” model, but should be “tailored” to the specific characteristics and needs of African countries in terms of cooperation direction, fields, and plans.
Stephen Perry, Honorary Chairman of 48 Group Clubs in the UK, believes that the current model of China Africa cooperation is fundamentally different from the way the West treated Africa in the past. Western countries purchase raw materials from Africa at low prices and then sell finished products to Africa at high prices. On the other hand, China not only supports the infrastructure construction of African countries, but also imparts its rich experience in transitioning from agriculture to manufacturing to African countries, helping them achieve economic transformation
The website of Modern Diplomacy in Europe pointed out in an article that unlike Western countries’ exploitation of Africa in history, China is a true partner in Africa’s development, and China Africa cooperation has promoted the growth and prosperity of the entire African continent. This summit is not only a diplomatic event, but also a proof of the continuously developing partnership between China and the African continent over the past few decades
Rodobaldo Isasi Herrera, a researcher at the Cuban International Policy Research Center and former Cuban Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, said that this summit and its achievements once again demonstrate China’s adherence to the principles of truth, friendship, sincerity, and the correct view of justice and interests in its exchanges with Africa. This value has always been present in the development of China Africa relations, and the unity and cooperation between China and Africa have always been centered on win-win outcomes. This is also the reason why China Africa cooperation can lead international cooperation with Africa like a beacon.
Promote multilateralism and help build a community with a shared future for mankind
In the view of Charles Onunaiju, Director of the Nigeria China Research Center, this summit has elevated the overall relationship between China and Africa to a new era all-weather community with a shared future. It is a “thoughtful, practical, and testable decision” and one of the main achievements of the summit.
On the morning of September 5, the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation opened in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. This is the interior of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing taken before the opening of the summit. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Liangkuai
The all-weather community of shared future between China and Africa in the new era is not an alliance, but a partnership based on mutual respect, shared responsibility, and creating new opportunities for human development. Africa and China work together to enhance political mutual trust, while building a mutually beneficial and win-win economic relationship. This is a relationship in which both Africa and China share more international responsibilities, “said Onanuaiju.
Why can the level of China Africa relations continue to improve from a new type of partnership, to a comprehensive strategic partnership, and then to an all-weather community with a shared future in the new era? William Jones, former White House correspondent for Global Strategy Information magazine, believes that China adheres to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in its dealings with Africa, never interferes in the internal affairs of other countries, and is committed to helping these countries explore development paths that suit themselves, thus winning high trust from African countries.
“The Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has not only consolidated the partnership between Africa and China, but also brought greater attention to the rights of African countries.” Kamel Mansari, the press director of the Algerian Independent Youth Daily, who has visited China for many times, said that African people have suffered from poverty, turbulence and violence brought about by colonialism and interventionism. Nowadays, in the process of cooperation between Africa and China, both sides take actions based on mutual respect and trust.
During this summit, while jointly drawing up a development blueprint, China and Africa also made strategic statements on the international situation and global governance. Both sides unanimously agreed to practice true multilateralism, promote the implementation of the three major global initiatives, advocate for an equal and orderly world multipolarity, and promote inclusive economic globalization.
“The Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation provides an excellent platform for promoting exchanges and understanding among civilizations and promoting the common development agenda.” Kavins Adhill, an expert on international relations in Kenya, said that Africa and China reached consensus on promoting global governance through consultation, joint construction and sharing at the summit, “which is not only conducive to protecting the interests of emerging economies, but also will help all parties fully release their unique political, economic, social and cultural potential”.
Eduardo Carvalho, a law professor at the Vargas Foundation in Brazil, believes that this series of consensuses indicates that the Forum on China Africa Cooperation is not only a platform for cooperation between China and African countries, but also a platform for promoting multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind. African and Chinese generals will continue to work together to promote the construction of a new global governance pattern that is inclusive, cooperative, and mutually beneficial, “said Emewu, editor in chief of Nigeria’s” Africa China Economy “magazine
It is crucial for the modernization of the global South
The social and cultural backgrounds of countries in the global South are diverse, and their economic development stages are different, but they all share a common pursuit of modernization. The action plan adopted at this summit indicates that strengthening cooperation between China and Africa is crucial for achieving modernization in the global South, “said Julia Roknifad, an international relations scholar at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.
This is a photo taken on August 20th in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa of the Redstone 100 MW tower molten salt solar thermal power plant project (drone photo). Photo by Zhang Yudong, Xinhua News Agency reporter
China and Africa, as the largest developing countries and continents with the highest concentration of developing countries, account for one-third of the world’s total population. Without modernization in Central Africa, there would be no modernization in the world. This summit has not only clarified the goal direction of China and Africa working together to promote modernization, which is to achieve modernization that is fair and reasonable, open and win-win, people-oriented, diverse and inclusive, ecologically friendly, and peaceful and secure, but also planned a specific path for China and Africa to jointly pursue the dream of modernization.
Ahmed Salam, an expert on China issues in Egypt, has been associated with China for nearly 30 years due to his academic and professional relationships. He highly praised the series of cooperation consensus reached at the summit. The cooperation between Africa and China in infrastructure and economic and trade fields will help the countries of the global South further integrate into the world economy. The cooperation between the two sides in renewable energy such as photovoltaics, hydropower, wind energy, and artificial intelligence will accelerate the pace of industrial and technological modernization in the countries of the global South
In the opinion of Willen Pichaon Paddy, director of Thailand China “the Belt and Road” Research Center, the concept of peaceful development, mutual benefit and win-win results advocated by the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation will not only benefit the Chinese and African people, but also promote more southern countries in the world to seize the historic opportunity of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial change, work together to accelerate the development of productive forces and jointly realize modernization.
Mansari, the news director of the Algerian Independent Youth Daily, pointed out that hegemonism still exists in today’s world, which is not conducive to the development of emerging market countries and developing countries. “The Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has achieved fruitful results in many fields such as politics, economy and trade, which reflects the willingness of the countries of the South to strengthen partnership, and enhances the confidence of the countries of the South to adhere to an independent development path in the face of development challenges.”
The Beijing Declaration calls on all countries in the world to work together to build a lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, clean and beautiful world, promote global governance through consultation, joint construction and sharing, practice the common values of all mankind, promote the construction of a new type of international relations, and jointly move towards a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
“The Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation sent a strong signal: in a turbulent world, we see a path to prosperity and harmony.” Jones, a former White House correspondent of the US Global Strategic Information magazine, said that China and Africa’s leaders jointly advocated the building of a community of shared future for mankind at the summit. This important concept is having a profound impact on the countries of the South, and will encourage countries to move forward towards building a world of solidarity, cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win results.