The African Union (AU) has once again affirmed its unwavering support for the One-China principle, reiterating that there is only one China and that Taiwan remains an integral part of the country’s territory.
The position was restated during the 9th China–African Union Strategic Dialogue held on Thursday at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The high-level engagement was jointly chaired by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
On the margins of the dialogue, the two leaders jointly participated in the opening ceremony of the 2026 China–Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, a flagship initiative designed to deepen social, cultural, and institutional connections between China and African countries.
Discussions during the dialogue covered a wide spectrum of issues, including cooperation on modernization, reforms in global governance, zero-tariff market access, the International Organization for Mediation, and peace and development challenges in the Horn of Africa. Both sides observed that China and the African Union, as important actors within the Global South, share strong convergence on many key international and regional matters.
The AU and China emphasized the need to jointly safeguard the legitimate interests of developing countries and reaffirmed mutual support on issues of core national concern. They agreed that closer coordination and cooperation are essential to promoting stability, peace, and sustainable development at both regional and global levels.
Reiterating its long-standing position, the African Union reaffirmed that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate representative of China, expressing firm backing for Beijing’s efforts toward national reunification.
The dialogue also underscored a shared commitment to an international order grounded in international law, with particular emphasis on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. In this context, both sides voiced concern over recent developments in Venezuela, stressing that all countries must adhere to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.
On development cooperation, the two parties highlighted the importance of synchronizing China’s 15th Five-Year Plan with the African Union’s Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, alongside commitments under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Such alignment, they noted, would strengthen joint efforts toward inclusive and sustainable economic transformation.
The AU and China also agreed to deepen collaboration around their respective priority initiatives. African-led programmes such as Agenda 2063, the Silencing the Guns initiative, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) were highlighted, alongside China’s Global Security Initiative, Global Governance Initiative, and the International Organization for Mediation.
Both sides reaffirmed their determination to fully implement existing agreements and memoranda of understanding and to unlock new areas of practical cooperation, with the shared aim of delivering concrete benefits to the peoples of Africa and China.
