Supporting the African Modernization Cooperation Initiative
The governments of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa jointly launched the “Initiative to Support Modernization Cooperation in Africa” during the G20 Johannesburg Summit on November 22, 2025. The content is as follows:
1. Preface
1.1 We reaffirm that the ‘Support for Africa Modernization Cooperation Initiative’ aims to support the implementation of the African Union’s’ Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want ‘and its seven core visions, as well as the construction of the African Continental Free Trade Area, further elaborating our firm determination to successfully achieve the key stage of the African Union’s’ Agenda 2063′ – the Second Decade Implementation Plan.
1.2 We believe that achieving modernization is a common pursuit and an inalienable right of all countries in the world. We call on the international community to provide assistance for sustainable development in Africa and not let any country fall behind on the path of modernization. We believe that modernization is the path and engine to achieve Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, helping to achieve economic, social, and technological transformation on the African continent and ensuring sustainable and inclusive development for all African people.
We appreciate the African Union’s accession to the G20 and support its efforts to promote integration. We appreciate South Africa’s inclusion of Africa’s core priorities in the G20 agenda during its presidency. We are willing to adhere to the principle of mutual consultation, joint construction and sharing, adhere to the concept of openness, green and integrity, and under the guidance of the principles of high standards, benefiting people’s livelihood and sustainability, promote the high-quality joint construction of the “the Belt and Road” between China and Africa and the African Union’s 2063 Agenda more closely.
1.6 We call on the United Nations to accelerate the promotion of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on the occasion of its 80th anniversary, increase funding, technology, and capacity building support for Africa, and enhance the representation and voice of African countries in international affairs. Appreciating the Global Development Initiative’s prioritization of supporting the development and revitalization of countries in the global South, we are willing to strengthen strategic coordination within the framework of the Global Development Initiative, promote the international community to focus on development issues, deepen practical cooperation, and jointly build a global community with a shared future for development.
1.7 In this context, we jointly launch the “Initiative to Support Modernization Cooperation in Africa” to support African countries in independently exploring modernization paths that are in line with their national conditions, realizing the aspirations of the African people for a better life, supporting the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its seven core visions, and supporting the construction of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
2. Principle of Cooperation
We call on the international community to adhere to a goal oriented and action oriented approach, jointly support the modernization of Africa, and follow the following basic principles:
2.1 Adhere to fairness and reasonableness. Respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of African countries, respect the independent choice of development path and social system by the African people, and adhere to non-interference in internal affairs.
2.2 Adhere to openness and win-win. In response to the common demands of African countries, we adhere to the principle of consultation, co construction, and sharing, enabling African countries to better integrate into the global industrial chain, value chain, and supply chain, and share the fruits of economic globalization.
2.3 Adhere to the principle of putting the people first. Ensuring and improving people’s livelihoods in development, safeguarding the right to survival and development of African people, and promoting the realization of an Africa with good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, fairness, and the rule of law.
2.4 Adhere to diversity and inclusiveness. Support Africa in promoting national characteristics and enhancing cultural confidence in the process of modernization, jointly promoting the common values of all mankind, advocating equal dialogue, mutual respect, and inclusive coexistence among different civilizations.
2.5 Adhere to ecological friendliness. Adhere to the concept of a community of shared life between humans and nature, and coordinate the relationship between economic development, ecological environment protection, and social development. Adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and assist Africa in achieving a fair, just, open and inclusive green and low-carbon transformation.
2.6 Adhere to peace and security. Adhere to the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, support Africans to solve African problems in an African way, resolve differences through dialogue and consultation, eliminate the breeding ground for conflicts through inclusive development, and help Africa accelerate the achievement of the goal of “eliminating gunshots”.
3. Key areas of cooperation
3.1 Supporting Africa to achieve fair and reasonable modernization
3.1.1 We call on all countries to support Africa in exploring modernization models based on its own cultural characteristics and development needs, and call on developing countries to strengthen experience exchange and concept docking in governance, modernization development, poverty reduction, and other aspects.
3.1.2 We call on all parties to uphold the principle of “Africa proposed, Africa agreed, and Africa led”, carry out trilateral and multi-party cooperation in Africa, and assist in the modernization of Africa.
3.1.3 We call for accelerating the reform of the international financial system, supporting African countries to play a greater role in global governance, improving development financing for African countries, and urging multilateral financial institutions and commercial creditors to actively participate in debt relief. We support increasing Africa’s share in international financial institutions and supporting the African Development Bank.
3.2 Supporting Africa to achieve open and win-win modernization
3.2.1 We support African countries to sign economic partnership agreements with China for common development through mutual benefit.
3.2.2 We emphasize that countries should increase their technical assistance to African countries and commit to implementing the priority action plan of the second phase of the African Infrastructure Development Plan (PIDA), which is a blueprint for Africa to achieve resilient and world-class infrastructure. Infrastructure is a key pillar in helping Africa achieve integration and industrialization. We appreciate the establishment of the foundation for supporting the implementation of the African Modernization Cooperation Initiative.
3.2.3 We encourage countries to strengthen international cooperation in green infrastructure and green minerals, increase the added value of African mineral products through the development of smelting technology and the expansion of upstream and downstream industries and supporting infrastructure construction. We call for strengthening international cooperation to build a responsible, transparent, stable, and resilient key mineral value chain, ensuring that key mineral resources become catalysts for promoting prosperity, value chain security, optimizing mineral processing, enhancing added value, and sustainable development of African countries around the world. We support the implementation of strong economic, social, and environmental protection measures to ensure that people in resource rich areas can effectively benefit. We call on all countries to increase investment in renewable energy projects in Africa and participate in the upgrading and transformation of energy facilities in Africa.
3.2.4 We support innovation cooperation between countries and African countries, strengthen cooperation in key areas such as green industries, e-commerce and payments, technology, and artificial intelligence, and promote high-quality development of cooperation.
3.3 Supporting Africa to achieve modernization that puts people first
3.3.1 We call on all countries to support African countries in increasing traditional food crop yields and supporting localized production of fertilizers, pesticides, and small-scale agricultural machinery in Africa through market-oriented means.
3.3.2 We call on all countries to continue to provide financial and technical assistance for the cause of health and AIDS prevention in Africa, continue to support the construction of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Drug Administration, and incubate Africa’s local pharmaceutical industry.
3.3.3 We support countries in strengthening cooperation with Africa in areas such as poverty reduction and rural development, and support African countries in carrying out poverty reduction practices tailored to local conditions.
3.3.4 We encourage enterprises from all countries to expand their investment in non manufacturing industries, support the development of regional value chains, advocate for the establishment of fair and just partnerships aimed at supporting local processing and increasing the added value of African resources, fulfill social responsibilities, strengthen experience sharing, technology transfer, and education and training.
3.4 Supporting Africa to achieve diversified and inclusive modernization
3.4.1 We appreciate the spirit of Ubanto, Pan Africanism, the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and are willing to provide profound and lasting spiritual nourishment for the modernization of the global South.
3.4.2 We appreciate the Global Civilization Initiative and support the exchange of civilizations beyond cultural barriers, the mutual learning of civilizations beyond cultural conflicts, and the coexistence of civilizations beyond cultural superiority.
3.4.3 We encourage countries to further expand exchanges and cooperation with Africa in areas such as education, tourism, sports, youth, women, think tanks, media, publishing, and culture. We appreciate the joint publication of the “Dar es Salaam Consensus” by scholars from 50 Central African countries and are willing to further expand joint research.
3.5 Supporting Africa to achieve eco-friendly modernization
3.5.1 We reaffirm the importance of the goals and principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and the outcomes of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and call on all parties to respect the energy transition of African countries in a fair, orderly, and equitable manner according to their national conditions.
3.5.2 We call on developed countries to take more action, fulfill their official development assistance commitments and climate financing obligations, and strengthen support for funding, technology, and capacity building in African countries.
3.5.3 We appreciate that China has taken a series of practical measures under the framework of South South cooperation on climate change and cooperation on the the Belt and Road Initiative. Call on all countries to strengthen green development cooperation with Africa and promote coordinated economic, social, and environmental development in Africa.
3.6 Supporting the Modernization of Peace and Security in Africa
3.6.1 We appreciate China’s early cooperation in the Global Security Initiative in Africa, actively implementing the “Concept for Peaceful Development in the Horn of Africa”, participating in the mediation of regional hotspot issues at the request of Africa, and making positive contributions to peace and stability in Africa.
3.6.2 We call on the international community to support African countries in building collective security mechanisms and to support the United Nations in providing financial support for African autonomous peacekeeping operations in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2719.
3.6.3 We call for further tilt of global counter-terrorism resources towards Africa, oppose politicizing counter-terrorism issues, strengthen law enforcement cooperation with Africa, and jointly combat transnational organized crime such as drug, weapons, and human trafficking.
3.6.4 We call for an increase in the representation of developing countries, especially African countries, in the United Nations and its Security Council. China supports making special arrangements to prioritize the resolution of African demands on the issue of UN Security Council reform.