In a historic move, President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping has announced an unprecedented financial support packages, valued at $50.7 billion (around R904 billion), in different forms for the African continent when he met the heads of State on Thursday at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing.
More than 50 African leaders, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres are attending this week's China-Africa forum.
Xi told the auspicious opening ceremony of the Forum, at the Great Hall of the People, that in the next three years, China will work with Africa to take the ten partnership actions for modernisation to deepen China-Africa cooperation and spearhead the Global South modernisation.
China and Africa account for one-third of the world population, and Xi said without China-Africa modernisation, there will be no global modernisation.
The ten partnership areas include cooperation on building a platform for governance experience sharing, a China-Africa knowledge network for development, and 25 centers on China and Africa studies; the second package focuses on China “voluntarily and unilaterally” opening its market wider – with some nations in Africa which enjoy diplomatic relations with China enjoying zero-tariff treatment for 100% tariff lines.
The partnership will also see China foster industry cooperation growth clusters with Africa, push forward the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation, and launch an African SMEs empowerment program.
On behalf of China, Xi also committed to carry out 30 infrastructure connectivity projects in Africa, promote together high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and put in place a China-Africa network featuring land-sea links and coordinated development.
The Asian economic powerhouse also committed to assist in the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and deepen logistics and financial cooperation for the benefit of trans-regional development within Africa.
On another leg of the partnership, Xi announced that China supports Africa in hosting the 2026 Youth Olympic Games and also offering backing for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
On the partnership action for health, Xi said China is ready to establish with Africa a hospitals alliance and joint medical centers.
“We will send 2,000 medical personnel to Africa, and launch 20 programs of health facilities and malaria treatment,” said Xi.
“We will encourage Chinese companies to invest in Africa’s pharmaceutical production, and continue to do what we can to help Africa with epidemic response. We support the development of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to strengthen public health capacity in all African countries.”
On partnership action for agriculture and livelihoods, Xi announced that China will provide Africa with RMB1 billion yuan in emergency food assistance, send a battalion of 500 agricultural experts, and establish a China-Africa agricultural science and technology innovation alliance.
On the vocational education cooperation plan, China has promised to provide 60,000 training opportunities to Africa, mainly for women and youths – in vocational education.
“We will launch with Africa a Cultural Silk Road program as well as an initiative of cooperation on innovation in radio, TV and audio and visual programs. The two sides have agreed to designate 2026 as the China-Africa year of people-to-people exchanges.
On the ninth partnership action for green development, Xi said China is ready to launch 30 clean energy projects in Africa, put in place meteorological early warning systems, and carry out cooperation in disaster prevention, mitigation and relief as well as biodiversity conservation.
“We will create a China-Africa forum on peaceful use of nuclear technology, establish together 30 joint laboratories, and collaborate on satellite remote sensing and lunar and deep-space exploration. All this is designed to help with green development in Africa,” said Xi.
The tenth partnership action centers on “common security”, where Xi explained that China is ready to build with Africa a partnership for implementing the Global Security Initiative, and make it a fine example of GSI cooperation.
“We will give Africa RMB1 billion yuan of grants in military assistance, provide training for 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police and law enforcement officers from Africa, and invite 500 young African military officers to visit China. The two sides will conduct joint military exercises, training and patrol, carry out an action for a mine-free Africa, and jointly ensure the safety of personnel and projects,” said Xi.
“To implement the ten partnership actions, the Chinese government will provide RMB360 billion yuan ($50.7 billion or around R904 billion) of financial support through the next three years. This breaks down into RMB210 billion yuan of credit line, RMB80 billion yuan of assistance in various forms, and at least RMB70 billion yuan of investment in Africa by Chinese companies,” said Xi.
“In addition, China will encourage and support Africa in issuing panda bonds in China to enhance our results-oriented cooperation in all areas.”
Xi said the friendship between China and Africa transcends time and space, surmounts mountains and oceans, and passes down through generations.
He added that founding of FOCAC in 2000 was a milestone in the history of China-Africa relations.
“Over the past 24 years, especially in the new era, China has advanced forward hand in hand with our African brothers and sisters in the spirit of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith,” said Xi, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with each other to firmly defend our legitimate rights and interests as once-in-a-century changes sweep across the world. We get stronger and more resilient together by riding the tide of economic globalisation, delivering tangible benefits to billions of ordinary Chinese and Africans,” the president said.
“We share weal and woe in fighting natural disasters and epidemics together, creating touching stories of China-Africa friendship. We always empathise with and support each other, setting a stellar example of a new type of international relations.”
Xi added that thanks to nearly 70 years of tireless efforts from both sides, the China-Africa relationship is now at its best in history.
“With its future growth in mind, I propose that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations, and that the overall characterisation of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era,” he said.
“Modernisation is an inalienable right of all countries. But the Western approach to it has inflicted immense sufferings on developing countries. Since the end of World War II, Third World nations, represented by China and Africa countries, have achieved independence and development one after another, and have been endeavouring to redress the historical injustices of the modernisation process,” said Xi.
“As we are about to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, we are going all out to build a great modern socialist country in all respects and pursue national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernisation.”
The Chinese leader said Africa is also awakening again, and the continent is marching in solid strides toward the modernisation goals set forth in the AU’s Agenda 2063.
He said China and Africa’s joint pursuit of modernization will set off a wave of modernisation in the Global South, and open a new chapter in our drive for a community with a shared future for mankind.
“As an African proverb goes, a friend is someone you share the path with. On the path to modernisation, no one, and no country, should be left behind. Let us rally the more than 2.8 billion Chinese and African people into a powerful force on our shared path toward modernisation, promote modernisation of the Global South with China-Africa modernization, and write a new magnificent chapter of development in human history,” said Xi.
“Let us join hands to bring about a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for our world.”
Official figures show that China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, and in 2023, China-Africa trade reached $282.1 billion, up nearly 11 percent compared to 2021, which demonstrates the strong resilience of China-Africa trade.
For over a decade in row, China has remained South Africa’s largest trading partner. On the other hand, South Africa has now been China’s largest trading partner in Africa for 14 years straight.
In July, Ambassador of China to South Africa, Wu Peng told IOL that from January to May this year, the unprecedented bilateral trade reached US$23.5 billion.
“South African exports to China were US$15.3 billion, up 14 percent year-on-year,” the Chinese veteran diplomat said at the time.
IOL