By Wang Yingying
We have three numbers: 53 African countries, 50 years of
China-Africa co-operation and US$50 billion worth of China-Africa
trade. Underlying these figures is the health of China-Africa
relations. The ties are expected to get better with the summit of
China-Africa Forum and the Third Ministerial
Conference on China-Africa Co-operation being held in Beijing.
More than 40 heads of state or government from the African
Continent are expected to attend the Beijing Summit, together with
Chinese leaders. They will take stock of China-Africa relations
over the last five decades and the fruits yielded by the
China-Africa Forum since its birth six years ago and discuss the
future direction of Sino-African ties.
Two important documents are expected to be passed by the summit:
the Declaration of the Beijing Summit of China-Africa Forum and a
Beijing action plan (2007-09).
In the declaration, the two sides will announce the
establishment of a new-type strategic partnership based on
political mutual trust, economic co-operation and cultural
exchanges. Specific measures will be implemented to promote the new
partnership.
The Beijing action plan will map out bilateral co-operation
programs in the fields of politics, economics, international
affairs and social progress.
In addition, the Chinese side will work out a package of
important measures to support the development of African countries,
involving reducing their debts, cutting tariffs on African imports,
increasing aid to African nations, strengthening personnel
training, increasing investment in Africa and promoting
co-operation in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure
construction, energy, finance and environmental protection.
The convening of the China-Africa Forum in Beijing demonstrates
that bilateral relations are making fast progress, pushed by the
needs of both parties, as well as signifies the extension of
traditional Sino-African friendship and co-operation.
China-Africa relations got started in 1956 when China and Egypt
established diplomatic relations. Over the past 50 years,
Sino-African friendship and co-operation, which were initiated and
nurtured by old-generation leaders Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Deng
Xiaoping together with their African counterparts, have withstood
the tests presented by the dramatic political and economic changes
in the world, become more consolidated and are moving ahead in a
big way.
Upon entering the new century, profound and complex changes have
taken place in the international political arena. As a result,
China and African nations are presented with new problems
domestically. At the same time, the content of China-Africa
relations has also been changing.
However, both sides have acknowledged that they can achieve
common development only through co-operation based on the
principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, sharing opportunities
together and facing up to the challenges together, taking into
account the accelerating economic globalization, deepening of the
world's interdependence, and their being brought ever closer to one
another by their own interests.
Based on this common knowledge, the China-Africa Forum was
initiated in October 2000 in Beijing. Its second ministerial
meeting was convened in Adis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, in
December 2003.
Since its founding six years ago, the China-Africa Forum has
made impressive progress in various fields and has become an
important platform for effective China-Africa dialogue mechanisms
and effective co-operation.
In the political area, to begin with, top Chinese and African
leaders visit one another's countries frequently and
non-governmental exchanges have been ever expanding, which serve to
promote political mutual trust and mutual understanding.
In addition, the two sides have effective co-operations in major
international organizations and some multilateral mechanisms and in
the areas of security, fighting terrorism and peace-keeping
missions.
Second, economic co-operation between China and African nations
has been going ahead at an accelerated pace. According to the
Chinese official statistics, the annual China-Africa trade was
merely US$12 million in 1956 when Chinese-Egyptian diplomatic
relations were established. In 2000, however, the figure crossed
the bar of US$10 billion. The annual bilateral trade volume hit
US$39.7 billion in 2005. The figure is expected to cross the
threshold of US$50 billion in 2006.
Third, the Chinese side has taken steps to support the
development of African nations. Within the framework of the
China-Africa Forum, for example, China has reduced the debts owed
to China by some poorest countries in Africa by 10.9 billion yuan
(US$1.36 billion) over the past five to six years and helped 49
African countries construct 720 industrial projects.
The Chinese Government also encourages various kinds of Chinese
enterprises to make investments in Africa and set up plants there.
So far, Chinese investment in Africa stands at US$6.2 billion.
Starting from January 1, 2005, China gave zero-tariff treatment
to 190 products China imports from 30 least developed African
countries. In addition, China has trained 14,600 professionals
needed in various sectors in African nations.
Some problems, however, have cropped up in the course of ever
expanding co-operation, such as trade friction.
The disputes, however, can be settled through compromises and
each party being considerate of the other.
Strengthening co-operation and unity with African countries has
always been a vitally important component in China's diplomacy.
For instance, the Chinese Government issued China's Africa
Policy document at the beginning of this year, expounding on the
general goal of the country's Africa policy, mapping out specific
measures to have the policy carried out and charting bilateral
co-operation in various fields in the immediate future.
President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao's Africa tours in April and June
demonstrate that China is determined to push the traditional
friendship with Africa forward under new circumstances.
The author is a researcher with the China Institute of
International Studies.
(China Daily November 2, 2006)
