China leads the world in cooperation with Africa

Editor's note: This article is part of the Preview Policy Report for the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, to be published by China Watch, China Daily's think tank.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, or FOCAC, has been a success since the first meeting was held 18 years ago and provided the two sides an effective mechanism and platform for practical collaboration and collective consultation. Through FOCAC, China has established a new relationship with Africa, reshaping international cooperation paradigms and rules.

The great achievements of Sino-African cooperation have attracted attention all around world. China has not only enhanced Africa's international status, but also changed the cooperation mechanisms of other countries in Africa. Many developing countries have strengthened their cooperation with Africa. For example, India, Brazil, Turkey and Iran have adopted similar paths, including aid, investment and financing, trade and infrastructure. Many developed economies like the US, Europe and Japan have reformulated their policies to enhance their attractiveness to Africa.

Developed countries have also gradually adjusted their policies on Africa. Yet China is different from Western countries in policies and approaches to Africa. China's assistance is tangible, and transforming Africa, such as infrastructure. In contrast, the Western approach is more like diplomacy of values and ideologies. China’s assistance, such as Chinese peace-keeping forces and stable policies based on equality, has won trust from African countries.

Developed economies such as the US, Europe and Japan are also interested in some of China's policies in Africa. In particular, US academic circles have conducted in-depth studies on China's role in Africa. As for Chinese investment in Africa and other economic aspects, the West declared that China aims to control Africa's economic lifeline through debts and increase Africa's economic dependence on China.

In fact, China attaches great importance to Africa's ability to repay debts. Mortgages will be granted only when industrial parks, built with Chinese investment, are proved to be operating in an efficient and diversified way. This shows that China is not trying to control Africa, and both sides respect each other on an equal basis.

FOCAC has contributed new ideas for international policies on Africa. China has demonstrated its respect and sincerity by setting up a new type of partnership. China's assistance to Africa is indelible, hailed by mainstream African public opinion. China-Africa cooperation is a South-South cooperation which achieves win-win results, and also take action to correct patterns of inequality. From the very beginning, China has made sure that African voices are fully reflected in FOCAC, which has a pragmatic mechanism to ensure implementation of plans and indeed meets the needs of Africa. The FOCAC has shown equality to all participating members, in contrast to previous gatherings such as Franco-African Summit, Africa-Europe Summit and US-African Leaders Summit. Because China has no colonial history and has never acted superior to others, China gives Africa more choice than the West does.

With frequent reciprocal visits between Chinese and African leaders, China's willingness to invest in Africa without differential treatment can be seen, and China truly respects African nations' sovereignty.

In the past two years, China has made great contributions in terms of infrastructure, such as the Mombasa-Nairobi railway in Kenya, the Djibouti railway, the first light rail in Ethiopia and the modern railway project in Nigeria. China's timely investment can help Africa overcome lackluster economy, create jobs, cultivate local human resources, and make up for African countries' deficits. China has offered special loans for Africa's development, such as the China-Africa Fund for Industrial Cooperation, set up in 2015. China's assistance to Africa will boost Africa's development and lead the world's cooperation mechanism to Africa ,while helping Africa to enhance its international status.

Zeng Aiping is an associate research fellow and deputy director of the Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International Studies. The author contributed this article to China Watch exclusively. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of China Watch.

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