In a historic move, President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, announced unprecedented financial support packages worth $50.7 billion (around R904 billion) in various forms for the African continent when he met with heads of state on Thursday at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing.
More than 50 African leaders, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, are attending this week’s China-Africa meeting.
At the Forum’s auspicious opening ceremony in the Great Hall of the People, Xi stated that China will cooperate with Africa over the next three years to implement the 10 partnership actions for modernisation in order to enhance China-Africa cooperation and drive Global South modernisation.
China and Africa account for one-third of the world’s population, and Xi believes that without China-Africa modernization, there will be no global modernization.
The ten partnership areas include cooperation on building a platform for governance experience sharing, a China-Africa knowledge network for development, and 25 centers on China and Africa studies; the second package focuses on China “voluntarily and unilaterally” opening its market wider, with some African countries that have diplomatic relations with China receiving zero-tariff treatment for 100% tariff lines.
The agreement will also see China build industry cooperation growth clusters with Africa, advance the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation, and launch an African SMEs empowerment initiative.
On behalf of China, Xi also committed to carrying out 30 infrastructure connectivity projects in Africa, promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and establishing a China-Africa network with land-sea ties and coordinated development.
The Asian economic superpower has pledged to help establish the African Continental Free Trade Area and strengthen logistics and financial cooperation to enhance trans-regional development in Africa.
On another leg of the relationship, Xi said that China will support Africa’s hosting of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, as well as the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
In terms of health partnerships, Xi stated that China is willing to form an alliance of hospitals and cooperative medical centers with Africa.
“We will send 2,000 medical personnel to Africa, and launch 20 programs of health facilities and malaria treatment,” said Xi.
“We will encourage Chinese companies to invest in Africa’s pharmaceutical production, and continue to do what we can to help Africa with epidemic response. We support the development of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to strengthen public health capacity in all African countries.”
On partnership action for agriculture and livelihoods, Xi announced that China will provide Africa with RMB1 billion yuan in emergency food assistance, send a battalion of 500 agricultural experts, and establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance.
On the vocational education cooperation plan, China has promised to provide 60,000 training opportunities to Africa, mainly for women and youths – in vocational education.
On the ninth partnership action for green development, Xi said China is ready to launch 30 clean energy projects in Africa, put in place meteorological early warning systems, and carry out cooperation in disaster prevention, mitigation and relief as well as biodiversity conservation.
“We will create a China-Africa forum on peaceful use of nuclear technology, establish together 30 joint laboratories, and collaborate on satellite remote sensing and lunar and deep-space exploration. All this is designed to help with green development in Africa,” said Xi.
The tenth partnership action centers on “common security”, where Xi explained that China is ready to build with Africa a partnership for implementing the Global Security Initiative, and make it a fine example of GSI cooperation.
“We will give Africa RMB1 billion yuan of grants in military assistance, provide training for 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police and law enforcement officers from Africa, and invite 500 young African military officers to visit China. The two sides will conduct joint military exercises, training and patrol, carry out an action for a mine-free Africa, and jointly ensure the safety of personnel and projects,” said Xi.
“To implement the ten partnership actions, the Chinese government will provide RMB360 billion yuan ($50.7 billion or around R904 billion) of financial support through the next three years. This breaks down into RMB210 billion yuan of credit line, RMB80 billion yuan of assistance in various forms, and at least RMB70 billion yuan of investment in Africa by Chinese companies,” said Xi.
“In addition, China will encourage and support Africa in issuing panda bonds in China to enhance our results-oriented cooperation in all areas.”
Xi said the friendship between China and Africa transcends time and space, surmounts mountains and oceans, and passes down through generations.
He added that founding of FOCAC in 2000 was a milestone in the history of China-Africa relations.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with each other to firmly defend our legitimate rights and interests as once-in-a-century changes sweep across the world. We get stronger and more resilient together by riding the tide of economic globalisation, delivering tangible benefits to billions of ordinary Chinese and Africans,” the president said.
“We share weal and woe in fighting natural disasters and epidemics together, creating touching stories of China-Africa friendship. We always empathise with and support each other, setting a stellar example of a new type of international relations.”
“With its future growth in mind, I propose that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterisation of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era,” he said.
“Modernisation is an inalienable right of all countries. But the Western approach to it has inflicted immense sufferings on developing countries. Since the end of World War II, Third World nations, represented by China and Africa countries, have achieved independence and development one after another, and have been endeavouring to redress the historical injustices of the modernisation process,” said Xi.
The Chinese leader said Africa is also awakening again, and the continent is marching in solid strides toward the modernisation goals set forth in the AU’s Agenda 2063.
He said China and Africa’s joint pursuit of modernization will set off a wave of modernisation in the Global South, and open a new chapter in our drive for a community with a shared future for mankind.
“As an African proverb goes, a friend is someone you share the path with. On the path to modernisation, no one, and no country, should be left behind. Let us rally the more than 2.8 billion Chinese and African people into a powerful force on our shared path toward modernisation, promote modernisation of the Global South with China-Africa modernization, and write a new magnificent chapter of development in human history,” said Xi.
“Let us join hands to bring about a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for our world.”
Official records show that China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 years in a row, and in 2023, China-Africa trade reached $282.1 billion, up roughly 11 percent from 2021, demonstrating the remarkable durability of China-Africa commerce.
For nearly a decade, China has been South Africa’s largest commercial partner. South Africa, on the other hand, has been China’s main African commercial partner for the past 14 years.
Wu Peng, China’s ambassador to South Africa in July that bilateral commerce hit an unprecedented $23.5 billion between January and May of this year.
“South African exports to China were US$15.3 billion, up 14 percent year-on-year,” the Chinese veteran diplomat said at the time.
