By Austin Maho (Ph.D)
Sino-Africa cooperation is on the upswing. September 2024 has been significant because it marks the 24th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which together with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have grown to become one of the world’s most visible and effective multilateral platforms for international collaboration and development.
FOCAC has come to represents the new world order for multilateralism and cooperation. In twenty four years it has become the rallying point for African countries and South-South cooperation. It represents a shift in Western-backed global institutions that have only served the interests of big powers.
Twenty- four years after, FOCAC has grown exponentially and presently comprises of 55 countries including China. China is the main financier and catalyst for its operation, it has become a global institution of reckon giving voice to African countries in the global community.
The Forum was founded in the year 2000 in Beijing with many African heads of state in attendance. The forum holds it gathering every three years and has since inception hosted meetings in Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia and Senegal. This years forum was hosted in Beijing. The 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation took place from September 4 to 6, 2024.
As noted by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the September 2018 meeting, FOCAC has become an important mechanism for “collective dialogue and practical cooperation” between China and African countries, a model of South-South cooperation and a banner of international cooperation between China and Africa.
FOCAC for African countries has come to, “represent the principle of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith and the values of friendship, justice and shared interests”.
Chinese President Xi Jinping rallying call to African nations at the 9th summit of FOCAC, is to build: “an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era”.
Looking back at the last 24 years of the organization there is no doubt that China and African countries’ relationships have grown from strength to strength and now at historic heights. It has never been this good.
According to the World Bank the value of trade between Africa and China has risen steadily in the last two decades. In 2023, trade volume reached $262 billion, more than twenty times its value two decades earlier. Angola Is ranked the largest exporter to China from Africa, and South Africa ranked the largest buyer of Chinese goods. China has become an essential trade partner for Africa, and the trade relationship between the two has deepened over the years, with China becoming the most important trading partner of Africa for several years. Statistically, China has traded with Africa more than any other country in the World. Nearly 25% of Africa’s exports, primarily metals, minerals, and fuels, go to China, making it the continent’s biggest trading partner.
Chinese companies in Africa have become major employers of labour in the continent and have provided capital and technologies for industrial growth. McKinsey and Company in a study titled “ Dance of the lions and dragons estimates that there are over 10,000 Chinese owned companies operating in Africa, these businesses have created millions of job. The study found that 89 per cent of employees of Chinese companies in Africa are locals, this is against the commonly held belief that Chinese companies don’t employ locals. Chinese companies are major employers, transferring technology and creating equal opportunities for African workers.
In Nigeria there is the inspiring story of BAI YANG, the CCECC Nigeria staff and first female train driver in Nigeria. Her birth name is Isa Fatima Abiola but her adopted Chinese name is ‘Bai Yang’
She is the first female to break the jinx to become the first-ever female train driver in Nigeria, probably the first in the whole of Africa. Bai Yang started work at CCECC as a domestic staff in 2008 and at the same time started learning Chinese. Today she is not only proficient in Chinese but also proficient as a train driver. Her story is one of rags to riches from oblivion to national recognition as a result of the opportunity provided for her by the CCECC. A Chinese company that provides equal opportunity for all its staff both male and female, Chinese and local Nigeria staff to exploit their full potentials.
The story of Bai Yang is reflection of the remarkable impact the Chinese businesses are having on people’s life and breaking barriers across traditional borders all over Africa.
Key economic sectors in Africa where Chinese companies are dominant players include, manufacturing, construction, technology and services. In recent years Chinese companies have made remarkable inroads in the technology sector. Techno, for instance, a mobile phone brand has achieved a market share of almost 50% across the continent. Were it not for Techno a lot of Africans would not have been able to afford smart phones. Another dominant technology company is Huawei which is transferring technology and rendering top notch technological support services to companies in Africa. StarTimes has become a household name in most African countries, making digital satellite broadcasting available to remote parts of Africa. In has grown to become one of Africa’s major pay-television providers, with about ten million subscribers. There are many more.
In general, Chinese companies have become significant contributors to Africa’s economies, providing employment opportunities and transferring technology to local businesses. Between 2006 and 2021, Beijing committed $191 billion in loans to African countries. Ahead of the 2024 FOCAC summit, African leaders announced various agreements, including Kenyan President William Ruto’s plans to expand the Nairobi-Mombasa railway and a highway in western Kenya. China by its massive investment in infrastructures in the continent has made Africa the new frontier of global development.
President Xi Jinping of China underlined that cooperation between China and Africa could propel the Global South’s “modernization” and result in “new and even greater achievements.” Amid mounting tensions with Western countries, particularly the United States, China is taking the initiative in an attempt to increase its relationship with Africa.
Xi in the 2024 FOCAC promised to bring “at least” one million jobs to Africa in an effort to establish China as a major player in the Global South’s development. President Xi also announced $51 billion in new financing for African nations, including loans and various forms of assistance and will also support 30 infrastructure projects to enhance connectivity across the continent.
“We have jointly built roads, railways, schools, hospitals, industrial parks, and special economic zones. These projects have transformed the lives and futures of many,” Xi told African leaders in Beijing, bringing renewed hope to a continent in despondency.
Nigeria has been a major beneficiary of this relationship under the FOCAC platform. As of 2019, the bilateral trade volume between China and Nigeria increased by 26.3% year-on-year. Nigeria continues to maintain China’s third-largest trading partner in Africa, the largest engineering contracting market and an important investment destination.
In terms of infrastructure, Nigeria has seen a harvest of infrastructural development, especially in the railway sector. A number of Chinese funded projects have been successfully completed. Major ones are the 187 km Abuja to Kaduna standard gauge railway line which was commissioned in 2016 and the 315 km Lagos to Ibadan railway line which was commissioned in June 2021. As at March 2024, The railway line constructed by CCECC has operated safely since commissioning with a passenger traffic exceeding 2 million as at March 2024. The project has not only improved transportation in Nigeria but has also created jobs but has stimulated socio-economic development through increased connectivity.
There is also the Abuja urban light rail project which was reopened in 2024. The Abuja metro light rail line is the first of its kind in West Africa. The metro rail recently achieved a major milestone, by transporting over 250,000 passengers within the first 100 days of the commencement of commercial operations. These projects and many others which are still under construction signifies the growing friendship between China and African countries, especially Nigeria.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, acknowledges the significant role FOCAC has played in the development of China Africa relations, specifically its immense contribution to the flourishing economic partnership and trade between Africa and China. Speaking at the 2024 summit of FOCAC the Nigeria President said the economic collaboration had grown to about 280 billion dollars.
According to him, these impressive figures speak volumes about the extent of the economic relationship and expanding integration of African and Chinese markets. He also said the China-African relationship was built on trust, mutual respect and the pursuit of common goals.
“As we look to the future, it is crucial that we maintain the momentum, peaceful dialogue, transparent business practices, and diplomatic, conflict resolution remains at the forefront of our efforts.
“These values will ensure that the bond between Africa and China continues to deepen and benefit both regions for the generations yet to come. The partnership is not only about shared history, it is driven by a bold collective vision for the future. By pulling our strength and resources, we can unlock unprecedented level of growth and development for our nations,” President Tinubu said.
Major achievements of the Beijing 2024 summit was the Establishment of Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships between China and 30 African countries, bringing the total number of comprehensive strategic partners to 53, and the characterization of China-Africa relations elevated to an all-weather community with a shared future for the new era by President Xi Jinping. African countries have never had it so good, with China supporting the implementation of the African Union’s 2063 Agenda– the blueprint for turning Africa into a future economic powerhouse is on track.
Furthermore a six-point proposition on China-Africa joint efforts to advance modernization was articulated, emphasizing the need for modernization that is just, equitable, open, and eco-friendly.
Other areas of cooperation includes, industrialization and agriculture, green energy. There is no doubt that African countries needs to propel their economies through industrialization and agricultural modernization. China is expected to offer support in these critical segments. With the world going green and adopting renewable technologies Africa must not be left behind. China has invested highly on green energy projects in Africa. This must be sustained and expanded, with a view to reducing carbon emission. Perhaps of most important is the willingness of China to put its money where its heart is. To this end China pledged $51 billion in financial support to Africa, along with expanded market access for African agricultural products and exempted 33 African countries from import tariffs of some exported goods to China.
FOCAC 2024 was a testament to the comprehensive and strategic partnership between the continent and China and the commitment of the Chinese president Xi to an all weather China Africa cooperation.
The 9th Triennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, FOCAC was a huge success, because African nations have demonstrated a willingness to join hands to Advance Modernization and Build High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future”.
Irrespective of western fueled criticism, Sino-Africa relationship has been mutually beneficial, it has been a relationship built on trust and understanding. The insinuation in Western quarters that China is pushing African nations into a debt trap is simply ridiculous and designed to sow the seeds of doubt into a blossoming partnership and brotherhood.
As FOCAC celebrates its 24th anniversary, the results of the platform can be seen across Africa. Over the past twenty four years, FOCAC has become an important platform for collective dialogue and an effective mechanism for practical cooperation between China and Africa, despite the challenges of a fast-changing global landscape China-Africa partnership is matching ahead full throttle. As the world slides into unilateralism and ultra-nationalism, FOCAC is the hope, the voice and benchmark for south south cooperation and multilateralism a win-win for China Africa cooperation.
