Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
Published:June02,2022
Xi Jinping
The China Global Development Initiative (GDI) is a brainchild of the president of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Xi Jinping, which he proposed in 2021 when delivering a speech at the General Debate of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly.
This proposal is a call by the Chinese president to the international community to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth in face of the severe shocks of COVID-19. The proposal by President Xi came after his realisation of the impacts of COVID-19, development needs of less developed countries and importance of green recovery amid the challenges of environmental degradation and climate change
During this historic speech, the Chinese president called on the world to stay committed to development as a priority, stay committed to a people-centered approach, stay committed to benefits for all, stay committed to innovation-driven development, stay committed to harmony between man and nature, and stay committed to results-oriented actions.
He also encouraged the world to advance on priority basis cooperation on poverty alleviation, food security, COVID-19 response and vaccines, development financing, climate change and green development, industrialisation, digital economy and connectivity, among other areas.
This is what President Xi said of the initiative: “We need to foster global development partnerships that are more equal and balanced, forge greater synergy among multilateral development cooperation processes, and speed up the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we should also safeguard and improve people’s livelihoods, and protect and promote human rights through development.”
The GDI in simple terms is a call to the global community to put development high on the global macro policy agenda, strengthen policy coordination among major economies, and ensure policy continuity, consistency and sustainability. The GDI is not proposed for a particular moment, event, country or region. Instead it is a response to the pressing challenges facing countries, especially developing countries, and is another major initiative proposed by China after the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
By re-prioritising development, renewing commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals, revitalising global partnerships, and reactivating development cooperation, China has drawn up a road map for narrowing the North-South gap and addressing development imbalance, and has thereby given a boost to fulfilling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has ambitious goals of eradicating poverty and hunger everywhere, combating inequalities, building inclusive societies, promoting human and gender equality and more by 2030. While these goals are hefty and require immense work, China’s GDI is opening doors for the UN’s 2030 Agenda to become a reality. This is because in China’s initiative, the goals of “re-prioritising development, renewing commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), revitalising global partnerships and reactivating development cooperation” are consistent with the UN’s Agenda with no one left behind.
It is important to note that the GDI has been warmly received by many countries and partners in the international community. The secretary-general of United Nations stated that the initiative is very important in that it advances the realisation of the UN’s SDG’s for 2030 and addressing the inequality and imbalance in global development. Furthermore, the deputy chairperson of the African Union (AU) noted that the initiative is vital for the continent of Africa in the sense that it encourages cooperation and dialogue as a best alternative to solve global problems.
In May 9, 2022, the State Councilor and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi when addressing the opening ceremony of the High-Level Virtual Meeting of the Group of Friends of the GDI in Beijing stated that “by creating a favourable environment to accelerate global development, there is a strong need to improve the global governance system at a faster pace, increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries, and build an open world economy. It is important to uphold the right of people of all countries to choose their own development paths, and oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs and unilateral sanctions without basis in international law”.
It is against this background that Botswana, which is one of the Group of Friends of the initiative, strategise and find ways in which the country can benefit from the GDI. Botswana has enjoyed strong diplomatic relationship with China for many years. The two countries have cooperated in many areas that range from trade, health, cultural exchanges, scholarships, etc. The two countries also engage in other forms of cooperation through Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. It must be noted that COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of Botswana’s health infrastructure and increased the poverty levels of many citizens. It is thus important for strategic and economic planners within the Botswana government as well as other stakeholders to reposition Botswana in such a way that it cooperates with China so that at the end of the day, it enjoys some socio-economic benefits that come with the initiative. There are several areas, which need to be prioritized in order to realise the benefits that come with the initiative. Firstly there is a strong need for Botswana to ensure energy security.
The country has long and hot summer days and as green energy is one of those important areas in the initiative, there is need for Botswana to create a very strong infrastructure to harvest sunshine, which can be used to produce enough electricity that can also be exported to other countries. It is through strategic cooperation with China to build such an infrastructure to produce electricity and reduce reliance of energy supplies on other countries. China has made great strides in energy technology and with a strategic cooperation (technical and financial support), Botswana can have sufficient green energy supplies.
The other priority area is industrialisation, digital economy and connectivity. As Botswana is endowed with minerals, land and cattle, it is very important to diversify the economy through various beneficiation projects that can create employment for the citizens. Investment in the agricultural sector is also very low as most agriculture in Botswana is mainly for subsistence use. With lack of advanced technical expertise and finance, it will be very important for Botswana to find areas of cooperation with China, which is very highly industrialised nations and has the financial muscle. Botswana needs to map ways in which she can build a very strong agricultural sector that uses the latest technology and clean energy that can go a long way in creating food security and employment creation.
When it comes to Internet connectivity, Botswana’s president Mokgweetsi Masisi has always stated the need for a robust Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). With China far much more advanced in this area, there is a strong need for collaboration for Botswana to realise this dream and it is through the GDI that should be given a priority. Besides those areas that have been mentioned, it is also very important for Botswana to explore other areas of possible cooperation.
What is very important is for Botswana to be more committed to work hard with China so that the GDI pays dividends. What Botswana should realise is that in this desperate situation where the economy is not doing well and the standard of living has being pushed higher by COVID-19 and other exogenous shocks such as conflict in Eastern Europe, President Xi has extended a hand of cooperation to the world especially to the developing countries. So this initiative should be exploited to the maximum best by Botswana to gain prosperity and win-win cooperation with China.
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