The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is being held in Beijing from September 4 to 6, 2024. This year’s FOCAC summit’s theme is “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.”
Delegations from 50 African Nations and Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the African Union Commission, are in China for the Summit. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to attend as a specially invited guest, and relevant international and regional organizations will participate as observers.
The FOCAC Summit which began as the China-Africa Forum in 2000 is held every three (3) years alternating venue between China and Africa. It was initiated at the request of African States and continues to serve as a mechanism to promote diplomatic, trade, security, and investment relations between China and African countries. Over the two-plus decades of institutionalised relationships, the summits provided the integrated framework governing China-African relations.
The main negotiations emanating from the nine (9) summits prior have resulted in:
- Debt relief for African countries
- Assistance in human resource development, health care, agriculture and infrastructure development for African countries
- Opening the Chinese market to African commodities
- Chinese export of goods and services and capital investment to Africa
China is currently Africa’s largest trading partner. The Sino-African relationship has been largely responsible for the modernisation of the infrastructure across Africa, with significant benefits under the Belt & Road initiative. The progress continues despite multiple challenges faced by African nations, including lethargic bureaucracy and administrative inefficiencies. Political instability in some territories has impacted governance. The influence of external forces not in favour of the deepening Africa-China relationship have also worked to slow well needed progress.
The President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking in brief since his arrival in Beijing highlighted a positive of the engagement between China and the African Nations. China is appreciated for “not using its strength to bully, but using its strength to help and share development”. The social realities of both Africa and China allow a mutual respect for sovereignty and dialogue is based on the principle of mutual benefit.
The Summit is expected to solidify cooperation agreements to set the tone of relations for the next three years. The main themes will be continued industrialisation and agricultural advancements, security, and cooperation regarding China’s Belt and Road initiative – a massive project designed to link several continents to China with physical infrastructure.
