Pursuing a Joint Aspiration
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Namibia, the Republic of the Congo, Chad, and Nigeria from 5 to 11 January, continuing the tradition of a Chinese foreign minister choosing Africa for the first overseas trip of a year for the 35th consecutive year. This tradition reflects China’s consistent support for Africa. The visit further strengthened China-Africa friendship, deepened strategic trust, and injected new momentum into the development of their relationship in the new era.
Longstanding friendship
China-Africa friendship and cooperation have a rich history. Namibia's founding president, Sam Nujoma, shared a deep bond with China’s pioneering leaders. Over the years, this traditional friendship has been further strengthened through mutual visits. President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo is one of the African leaders who has made the most visits to China and had the most meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Their deep friendship has forged a strong and enduring bond between China and the Republic of the Congo. Similarly, former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari visited China multiple times and met with Chinese leaders on various occasions.
The status of China-Africa relations is taking a significant leap. During the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, Chinese and African leaders unanimously agreed to elevate the overall characterization of China-Africa relations to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. China has entered into strategic partnerships with all African countries having diplomatic ties with China.
As Wang emphasised, regardless of changes in the international and regional landscape, China's commitment to Africa remains unwavering. China will always be Africa’s most trustworthy friend, reliable partner in development and revitalisation, and strongest supporter on the international stage, he said.
Practical actions
The 2024 FOCAC Summit charted a new blueprint for China-Africa cooperation. President Xi Jinping announced the launch of the ten partnership actions for joint modernisation efforts between China and Africa over the next three years. Covering all areas of China-Africa cooperation, the initiatives range from an overarching plan to establish a China-Africa network featuring land-sea links to the implementation of 1,000 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects.
Implementation of the ten partnership actions with clear priorities and key projects was a core consideration of Wang’s recent visit. As the co-chair of FOCAC, the Republic of the Congo plays a vital role in this process. Both China and the Republic of the Congo have developed a timetable and roadmap for the development of the forum over the next three years. This year, the focus will be on a coordinators' meeting on the implementation of the follow-up actions of the ministerial conference and achieving more early harvests.
Next year, both sides will co-host events marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa, as well as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Wang said. Through the 18th Senior Officials Meeting of FOCAC, the two sides will accelerate the implementation of the summit outcomes in the mid-term. In 2027, the focus will be on preparing for the 10th FOCAC Ministerial Conference, driving the final completion of the implementation of the summit outcomes.
Strengthening strategic alignment while focusing on the delivery of outcomes and project execution is a defining characteristic of China-Africa cooperation. During the 2024 FOCAC Summit, China signed joint Belt and Road Initiative plans and various bilateral agreements with Namibia, Nigeria, Chad, and the Republic of the Congo. These covered areas such as economic development, Global Development Initiative implementation, agricultural exports, media collaboration, green growth, urban development, digital economy, and human resource development.
One of the significant strengths of China-Africa cooperation is its focus on practical outcomes and alignment with the actual needs of African nations. Under the framework of FOCAC, the partnership has delivered numerous flagship projects, key initiatives, and livelihood improvements across the continent.
China’s support in modernising the Walvis Bay Port and building industrial parks in Namibia has enhanced the country’s role as a logistics hub in Southern Africa and significantly accelerated its transition from being a mineral exporter to fostering high-value-added processing industries.
In the Republic of the Congo, the No.1 National Highway constructed by China is hailed as the “dream road,” connecting 65 percent of the population and facilitating the movement of more than 90 percent of essential imports and exports. Furthermore, the establishment of the Sino-Congolese Bank for Africa, co-funded by the Agricultural Bank of China and the Congolese government, has played a critical role in the Republic of the Congo's financial sector and economic development.
In Nigeria, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the largest in West Africa, built by Chinese companies, has become a new symbol of Nigeria’s global connectivity. Additionally, the jointly developed Lekki Free Trade Zone and Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone have significantly contributed to Nigeria's economic growth and job creation.
Shared dreams
China and Africa have vast opportunities to exchange ideas and draw inspiration from each other in their pursuit of modernisation. Since gaining independence, both China and African countries have faced significant challenges on their paths to modernisation.
At the 2024 FOCAC Summit, President Xi Jinping put forward six major proposals for China and Africa to jointly advance modernisation. This vision serves as a driving force for their future collaboration.
Pursuing modernisation in line with national realities is both the basis for China and Africa’s shared modernisation aspirations and the fundamental reason why this cooperation has become a model for international collaboration with Africa. China firmly supports African nations in following independent paths for development and overcoming challenges on the way.
For 15 consecutive years, China has been Africa’s largest trading partner, with infrastructure collaboration playing a critical role in addressing bottlenecks and fostering progress across the continent. China also pays high attention to Africa’s security challenges. China steadfastly supports finding African solutions to African problems, and endorses efforts for capacity building.
China engages in flexible, pragmatic cooperation based on the specific conditions and needs of African countries to support their peaceful development through concrete actions. In resource-rich nations like the Republic of the Congo and Namibia, China supports the development of resource-based industries while promoting balanced approaches that harmonise resource exploitation with ecological conservation.
In countries facing significant security threats, such as Chad and Nigeria, China works with multilateral institutions like the United Nations to heighten global attention to African security issues, bolster Africa’s security capabilities, and establish partnerships with African countries to implement the Global Security Initiative.
China-Africa cooperation stands as a hallmark of South-South cooperation and is increasingly setting benchmarks for international collaboration with Africa. The shared pursuit of modernisation between China and Africa has become an integral part of the Global South's modernisation efforts. To meet shared aspirations, China and Africa must deepen strategic cooperation and foster greater unity within the Global South.
The author is Deputy Director and Research Fellow of Centre for West Asian and African Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies
