Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
Published:November 28,2023
By Gerald Mbanda
The year 2023, is very significant in the China-Africa cooperation as it marks the 10th anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s first visit to Africa as Chinese President in 2013, and the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. To date, there are several achievements that have been realized both from the visit of president Xi Jinping to Africa and the projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.
I would say that the story of China and Africa likens distant twins separated by space and time, but having a lot in common as they share the same DNA, feeling for each other and having the same desires and aspirations. Both China and Africa were the origins of human civilization, and have made positive contributions to the advancement and progress of humanity, with close friendship since ancient times.
Historical perspective of China-Africa relationship and foreign interference
China and Africa share bitter history of humiliation by foreign invasions and colonialism respectively. In Africa, slave trade killed countless Africans and more than 15million were brutally shipped out of the continent. Colonialism raped Africa and interfered with cultural civilization, and economic progress. In China, the Nanjing Massacres committed by Japanese troops in 1937, killed approximately 300,000 innocent Chinese people. The Opium wars in the 19th century not only weakened Chinaeconomically but also brought China’s territory of Hong Kong under the British occupation, while the people of China faced dangers of increased opium trade.
In 1955, the Asian-Africa Conference held in Indonesia, onpeace and the role of the Third World in the Cold War and decolonization, was a historic moment that strengthened the unity of China and Africa. After the conference, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai made a ten-country tour of Africa between December 1963- January 1964. This historic visit aimed at stimulating African countries to start liberation movements to fight against colonialism and imperialism. China’s support and contribution for an independent Africa is deeply appreciated in the hearts of many African people until today.
China and Africa have always supported each other in times of need. At the 26th UN General Assembly, held on October 25, 1971, African countries massively supported a resolution to restore all the lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations. The Chinese leader at the time, Mao Zedong was grateful for the support by African countries and said, “It is our African brothers who have carried us into the UN.”
Despite the setbacks by foreign invasions, ancient China is the home to the four great inventions namely; papermaking, printing, gunpowder and the compass which made significant contributions to world civilization.
China-Africa cooperation achievements in the New Era
Today, China has regained much of her lost glory and sharing this advancement with Africa. For example, in September 2022, Three Chinese Taikonauts talked from space with the youth from eight African countries via video link, sharing their experience in the Shenzhou-14 mission. They shared with the African youth their life and scientific work in the space station, which inspired the students to fulfill their dreams.
The past decade has witnessed significant achievements in the Africa-China Cooperation and both sides cherish the principles of the principles of sincerity, real results, amity, good faith, and of pursuing the greater good and shared interests. Guided by President Xi Jinping and African leaders, the cooperation between China and Africa has advanced to a higher level under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). China remains Africa’s largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, with trade volume exceeding US$ 280 billion in 2022, while over the past 10 years, it is estimated that China created 18,562 jobs a year on average in Africa.
Through the Forum for China and Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) as well as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a lot of infrastructure developmental projects have been realized which have improved economies in Africa. The BRI has delivered tangible benefits to both China and Africa, strengthening ties between the two sides, and has not only effectively promoted infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, financial integration, but also promoted people-to-people communication between China and Africa. The BRI is a win-win multilateral project, that has exposed the false “debt trap” narratives of the west because its benefits are tangible. Contrary to the so called “Debt trap,” between 2000 and 2019, China canceled at least $3.4 billion of debts owed by several African countries.
Both BRI and FOCAC complement the African Union agenda 2063, which is Africa’s master plan for transforming Africa into a global powerhouse of the future. China has supported the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which will boost African exports by generating an estimated US$450billion in income and lift 30 million peopleout of extreme poverty by 2035 according to the World Bank estimates.
In 2019, the Africa development bank (AfDB) estimated that Africa needs a minimum of US$ 130bn- 170bn per annum, for infrastructure development and half of the amount remained unfunded. China came in to fill the gap. The Chinese proverb which says that, “if you want to prosper, first build roads,” is also true for Africa. The African continent needs more infrastructure development to promote both intra-trade and international trade to attract investment and economic growth. It is estimated that China has invested more than $155 billion in infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa over the last two decades.
Sino-African healthcare cooperation has significantly improvedhealth standards in African countries. In my country Rwanda, life expectancy in 1993 was at 42 years, while today, an average Rwandan lives for 70 years. Part of this success story is the contribution by the Chinese medical teams which operate in two hospitals in the country and provide timely and lifesaving medical services. During the recent outbreak of the COVID-19, pandemic, China has been at the forefront of supporting African countries to get medical equipment as well as well as the critically needed vaccines, when most of the western countries were hoarding the life-saving vaccines.
In recent years, Africa has seen rapid transformation and development, thanks to the cooperation with China. Landmark infrastructure projects like The AU headquarters, the Africa CDC headquarters in Addis Ababa- Ethiopia, the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, Nairobi-Express Highway, Ethiopia-Djibouti Railway and more, have been realized. China has cooperated with Africa in addressing food shortages by dispatching agriculture experts to construct agricultural demonstration centers for improving yields, irrigation and use of agricultural modern technology.
China has promoted industrialization in Africa by technology transfer and setting up Free Trade economic Zones. Western countries deliberately starved the African continent of technology so that they can maintain the monopoly of manufacturing and determine prices. For example, in 2020,Germany earned estimated value of €3.4 billion from sale of roasted coffee yet the country does not grow a single coffee tree. Switzerland exported 118,000tonnes of chocolate in 2021 with a value of €722 million yet the country does not grow a single cocoa tree. The coffee and cocoa farmers in Africa remain cheated. Technology transfer is a game changer that improves the lives of the African people, and I believe this is one of the reasons the west is unhappy with China’s cooperation with Africa.
Moving forward
China under the leadership of CPC has for a long time been struggling to achieve modernization and economic progress. China being the second largest economy in the world has not progressed alone. It has shared the development journey with many other countries in the world. As we celebrate various milestones achieved through China-Africa cooperation, we look forward to continuing the brotherly journey of building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.
Both sides should enhance more engagements between Africanand Chinese youth. The youth are the leaders of tomorrow and must have a clear understanding of the history and cooperation between the two sides. There is need to promote People to people diplomacy through cultural exchanges, music, dance, sports, etc., to enable China and Africa to create a better understanding and friendship between our societies.
China and Africa have been able to overcome humiliation, attained freedom and have shared the development journey. As China has progressed to become the second largest economy in the world, Africa has progressed as the fastest growing continent in the world and demographically the youngest, and also endowed with plenty of natural resources. “A New Chapter of Africa-China Friendship in the New Era” has been opened and progressing in the right direction, making significant contribution to both the wellbeing of the African and Chinese people.
As the Chinese sage Lao Tzu says, “The one who conquers people is strong; the one who conquers himself is powerful.” China and Africa are conquering themselves towards rejuvenation, and as an Africa proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” China and Africa chose to go together.
Gerald Mbanda is a Researcher and Publisher on China-Africa Cooperation.
