Promote the building of a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future

Source: People's Daily - People's Daily

China is the largest developing country in the world, and Africa is the continent with the largest concentration of developing countries. Similar historical encounters and common historical missions have closely linked China and Africa, which have always been a community of common destiny. Over the past 10 years, under the joint leadership and promotion of the leaders of the two sides, China and Africa have worked hand in hand and mutually beneficial cooperation to jointly promote economic and social development and benefit the people of both sides, setting an example for promoting the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.

"Continuously add impetus to Africa-China cooperation and enable both sides to achieve mutually beneficial development"

"Although China and Africa are separated by oceans, our hearts are connected."

"No matter where China goes, China will always regard African countries as its own friends in trouble."

On the morning of March 25, 2013, President Xi Jinping's first visit to Africa after assuming the presidency of the Nyerere International Conference Center in Tanzania was packed to the full house, where he delivered a speech entitled "Always Be a Reliable Friend and Sincere Partner". With profound friendship for the African people, President Xi Jinping comprehensively expounded the policy proposition of China and Africa to seek peace and promote development in the new era.

"To treat African friends, we speak the word 'true'"; "To carry out cooperation with Africa, we speak of the word 'real'"; "To strengthen China-Africa friendship, we speak the word 'pro'"; "To solve problems in cooperation, we speak the word 'sincerity'."

In his speech, President Xi Jinping also put forward the concept of "China-Africa community with a shared future" for the first time. The next round of applause from the stage pinned on the good wishes of hundreds of millions of African people and Chinese people to create a better future. Over the past 10 years, China-Africa practical cooperation has been continuously improved and upgraded.

In December 2015, President Xi Jinping attended the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. President Xi Jinping said that China is willing to focus on implementing the "Ten Major Cooperation Plans" with Africa in the next three years.

In September 2018, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was successfully held, and China and Africa agreed to build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. President Xi Jinping announced at the opening ceremony of the summit that he will focus on the implementation of the "eight major actions" in the next three years and in the coming period.

In 2020, the new crown epidemic swept the world. In June of the same year, President Xi Jinping presided over the Special Summit on China-Africa Solidarity Against the Epidemic and delivered a keynote speech, expounding the important policies and propositions of promoting China-Africa cooperation and strengthening international cooperation under the epidemic situation, and announcing a series of measures such as anti-epidemic assistance, debt relief and resumption of work and production in Africa, which was highly praised by the African side.

In November 2021, President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation via video, announcing the "Nine Projects" of China-Africa practical cooperation, once again demonstrating China's sincere willingness to make greater contributions to Africa's post-pandemic economic recovery and sustainable development.

"China will continue to make new and greater contributions to Africa's development, and welcomes Africa to take the express train and free ride of China's development, so that China's development achievements can benefit the Chinese and African people more."

"We welcome and support everything that is beneficial to Africa, and the whole world should do our best and do it seriously."

"No matter how the international situation changes, China's determination to strengthen China-Africa solidarity and cooperation will never waver."

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President Xi Jinping stressed that the greatest "righteousness" of China-Africa relations is to use China's development to help Africa's development, and ultimately achieve mutual benefit and common development.

In every critical period of the development of China-Africa relations, both sides can take a long-term view, find new points of convergence and growth in China-Africa cooperation, and promote China-Africa relations to achieve a new leap. Over the past 10 years, from the "Ten Major Cooperation Plans" to the "Eight Major Actions" to the "Nine Projects", China-Africa cooperation has kept pace with the times and deepened, and relevant projects have been implemented with high quality. China has maintained its position as Africa's largest trading partner for 13 consecutive years, with imports and exports between China and African countries reaching RMB1,878.604 billion in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 14.5%. Fifty-two African countries and the African Union Commission signed cooperation documents on the Belt and Road Initiative with China.

Benjamin Magna, editor-in-chief of the Tanzanian newspaper The Guardian, said that the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the development strategies of African countries have "continuously added impetus to Africa-China cooperation, enabled the two sides to achieve mutually beneficial development, and accelerated the modernization process of African countries." ”

African Union Commission Chairman Faki said that China stands with Africa in its struggle for national independence and liberation; China stands with Africa in its efforts to accelerate its development and revitalization and to participate more in international affairs. We value China's strong support for African integration, connectivity and the construction of the free trade area, and look forward to working with China to promote the construction of a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

"Always respect the will of the African people and take into account the needs of African countries"

At the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, then Chairman of the African Union, made this wonderful speech: "In the past, colonialists brought disasters to Africa, but now China has brought new life to Africa. ”

Over the past 10 years, the concept of true kindness and sincerity has been like a beacon, continuously guiding China-Africa relations to a steady and far-reaching future. Over the past 10 years, China-Africa cooperation has yielded fruitful results, and the story of development has been continuously staged on the African continent.

In Ethiopia, in just over two years, modern buildings have been erected on a once-overgrown wasteland on the southern outskirts of the capital, Addis Ababa. In January this year, the project of China's aid to the African Union Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Phase I) was officially completed, which is the first African CDC on the African continent with modern office and experimental conditions and complete facilities. Maeda, chief regional coordinator of the Africa CDC, said: "African countries urgently need to improve their health infrastructure, and China's assistance is timely and prompt. ”

In Kenya, the Nairobi Expressway, developed and built by Chinese companies, was officially put into operation at the end of July last year, greatly alleviating road congestion and shortening the travel time from the airport to the city from the original 2 hours to 20 minutes. "I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to China for enabling Nairobi and its people to realize their dream of a good transportation network." Kenya's Deputy Minister of Transport Mbugua said.

In Burundi, the Khuzibazi hydropower project was completed last September. Previously, Burundi had not put a new power station into operation for more than 30 years, and the lack of electricity seriously restricted the local economic development. The hydropower plant will help the country achieve its goal of increasing its electricity supply by nearly 1/3. "Now that electricity is available, we must also work hard like China, firmly follow the road of development, and achieve the goal of life for the whole people to 'have money in their bags and food in their treasuries.'" Burundian President Ndayi Schmiye said at the completion ceremony.

In Egypt, the Luban workshop at Ain Shams University's Faculty of Engineering has been in operation for more than two years. "The Luban workshop has mastered a skill for students and helped Egyptian youth get the key to a happy life." Awad, executive director of the workshop, said that the new and advanced equipment in the laboratory is purchased from China, providing a platform and opportunity for local students to practice practically, which greatly contributes to the development of vocational education in Egypt.

In Mozambique, the innovative agricultural technology model of "Beidou + UAV" has brought sweetness to farmers in Saisai, Gaza province. Through the mobile phone APP, the plant protection drone can be operated to spray pesticides according to the set path, and the planting efficiency is greatly improved. Mazingh, a demonstration farmer, said that the average grain production of cooperative farmers has doubled, and the income has increased significantly: "I used to have only one thatched house, but now I have built a cement house, furniture and appliances." Chinese technology has changed my life dramatically. ”

In Rwanda, since participating in the China International Import Expo, Farmer's Coffee Company has greatly increased its popularity in the Chinese market, and its partners have been continuously expanded and gradually integrated into the larger international market. James Kimonio, Rwanda's ambassador to China, said the Expo and the establishment of an online sales platform eliminated middlemen between Rwandan farmers and Chinese consumers, and local coffee farmers now earn $4 more for every pack of coffee sold.

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According to incomplete statistics, by the end of 2021, China had sent a total of 23,000 medical teams to Africa and treated 230 million patients; from 2000 to 2021, Chinese enterprises used various funds to help African countries add and upgrade more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 100,000 kilometers of highways, nearly 1,000 bridges and nearly 100 ports. From 2005 to 2021, China held 160 training courses on poverty reduction and foreign aid, training more than 2,700 people for 53 African countries. The people of China and Africa are getting closer and closer, getting to know each other more and more, and the friendship of hearts and minds has been strong for a long time.

"There is no self-interest, and no political conditions are attached. China's cooperation with Africa has always respected the will of the African people and based itself on the needs of African countries. Izzat, executive director of the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Council, said that in the past 10 years, Africa-China cooperation has benefited the people of both sides and created mutual benefit and win-win results.

"Contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to safeguarding world peace and security and promoting common development"

"Why are China-Africa relations good? Why is China-Africa friendship deep? President Xi Jinping pointed out that the key lies in the long-standing spirit of friendship and cooperation between China and Africa, that is, "sincere friendship, equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win results, common development, upholding justice, safeguarding justice, adapting to the times, and being open and inclusive."

China has always maintained that there is no one-size-fits-all development model in the world, and that all parties should respect the diversity of world civilizations and development models. China has always maintained that Africa is an Africa for Africans and that any country developing relations with Africa should respect Africa's dignity and independence.

China put forward the "Concept for Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa" and promoted the convening of the first peace conference in the Horn of Africa. Countries in the region issued a joint statement on jointly addressing security, development and governance challenges, stressing their willingness to uphold the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and build a "silencing the gunfire" and lasting peace in the Horn of Africa.

China takes the lead in supporting the African Union's accession to the G20, enhancing the representation and voice of African countries in the UN Security Council and other international organizations, and promoting the development of the global governance system in a more just and reasonable direction.

"China supports countries in the region in exploring development paths suited to their own national conditions, properly handling various ethnic, religious and regional disputes in an African way, and building a united, stable and harmonious development environment." Peter Kagovanga, director of the Kenya Institute for African Policy, said that peace and development are mutually reinseparable and mutually reinforcing. China is a staunch practitioner of the concept of peaceful development, and in order to support countries in the region in coping with the triple challenges of security, development and governance, China put forward the "Concept for Peaceful Development in the Horn of Africa" and appointed a special envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "China contributes its wisdom and strength to safeguarding world peace and security and promoting common development".

According to Olalekan Babatunde, a researcher at the Nigerian Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, China firmly supports true multilateralism and brings prosperity to the whole world, including African countries. Expanding and deepening multilateral and regional cooperation can better address the problems of terrorism, hunger, poverty, injustice and inequality afflicting the African continent.

Today, the Chinese-style modernization successfully promoted and expanded by the Chinese people led by the Communist Party of China presents a new picture different from the Western modernization model, profoundly rewrites the map of world modernization, and provides valuable experience enlightenment and new path choices for developing countries to modernize. "The new picture of Chinese-style modernization provides useful reference and opportunities for the vast number of developing countries, including African countries." David Monyae, director of the Africa-China Research Centre at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, said that the investment and trade between Africa and China through platforms such as the "Belt and Road" have great potential for growth, and "Africa-China cooperation has broad prospects."

"China's economic development has not only brought opportunities to developing countries, but also confidence." Charles, an international student from Congo (Brazzaville) who is currently studying at Shanxi University, plans to return to China after completing his studies to build his hometown, "hoping that my compatriots can have a better life."

Osman, director of the Confucius Institute at Khartoum University in Sudan, said that China has been helping Africa make common progress and continues to speak out for the African people on many international occasions. "African countries will continue to work with China to continuously push Africa-China relations to a new historical stage."

"The concept of true affinity and sincerity will unite the majestic strength of the 2.7 billion people of Africa and China, and continuously promote the construction of a high-level Africa-China community with a shared future." Nasser Bushiba, chairman of the Moroccan Association for Africa-China Cooperation and Development, believes that China's support for the construction of the African Free Trade Area and the exploration of Africa-China free trade cooperation with African countries to expand the export of African commodities to China will inject new impetus into the transformation and upgrading of Africa-China cooperation.

No matter how the international situation changes and no matter what step China has developed, China will always stand together with Africa and other developing countries and will always be Africa's sincere friend and reliable partner. Standing at a new historical starting point, China and Africa joining hands to build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future will better benefit the Chinese and African people and make new and greater contributions to building a better world. People's Daily (Version 03, 25 March 2023)