China-Africa relationship embraces historic development opportunity

By He Wenping, Researcher of Charhar Institute and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

The day Dec 4, 2015 is a historic moment for China-Africa relations. It is the first time for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to be held in Africa and chaired by an African country.

Heads of states and governments from 50 African countries have gathered to consult on the future development strategy of Sino-African cooperation with Chinese leaders.

In a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Chinese President Xi Jinping briefed on the "5 pillars" and "10 major plans" of Sino-African cooperation in the upcoming three years and announced Beijing would provide 60 billion US dollars of funding support to Africa. China's support has opened a new era lifting it from a "new-type strategic partnership" to "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership."

The first China-Africa summit was held in Oct 2006 in Beijing, which featured political equality and mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation and cultural exchanges, security communication and cooperation in international affairs. Beijing has successively upgraded the bilateral relations to comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with several major African countries, such as South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt.

China's partnership would cement coordination on international affairs with African countries.

At the 5th ministerial conference of FOCAC in 2012, the then Chinese President Hu Jintao announced cooperation in the fields of investment and financing, aid and livelihood, integration of Africa, non-governmental contact, peace and security.

Sino-African cooperation covers the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, infrastructure, financial services, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and public welfare, public health, people-to-people exchanges, and peace and security. All measures are projected in accordance with the African Union's "2063 plan" and satisfy Africa's needs, getting Africa's permission and benefiting Africa.

It is more exciting that each plan has specific capital and technical support, aiming to break the three long-term bottlenecks (infrastructure lag, talent and capital shortage) that have restricted Africa's development.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said, "President Xi's measures have historic significance and will inject more impetus for the vital Sino-African relationship."

Mugabe humorously said, "African people used to eagerly expect colonizers can do what China is doing now. If the colonizers had ears, they should listen to President Xi's speech."

Mugabe's words disclose that, China is making sincere efforts to boost Africa's development, which is very different from western colonizers' false promises.

(The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com.)