News Analysis: Summit injects strong momentum into China-Africa relations

SHANGHAI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which closed on Friday in Beijing, marks a significant upgrade in relations and a strong push to practical cooperation in various fields.

During the summit, China forged or elevated strategic partnership with 30 countries. China has so far established strategic partnerships with all African countries that have diplomatic ties with China. Meanwhile, the overall characterization of China-Africa relations has been elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

China and Africa formulated a blueprint for future cooperation. In order for China and Africa to advance modernization over the next three years, China announced 10 partnership actions in areas such as mutual learning among civilizations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, and connectivity. China has pledged 360 billion yuan (about 51 billion U.S. dollars) of financial support to implement these actions.

The new positioning of the China-Africa relationship responds to the evolving global landscape, the realistic need for strengthening China-Africa cooperation, and the common aspirations of their respective leaders and people. Thanks to decades of efforts from both sides, the China-Africa relationship is now at its best in history.

Fruitful results since the launch of the FOCAC in 2000 highlight the resilience and dynamics of China-Africa cooperation. From 2000 to 2023, the bilateral trade volume increased from 10.5 billion U.S. dollars to 282.1 billion dollars. China has been the largest trading partner of Africa for the past 15 consecutive years. Chinese enterprises have built railways, highways, bridges, ports, schools and hospitals in Africa.

China's role in promoting Africa's development has been consistent, comprehensive and practical, said Wang Heng, deputy director of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University.

With a combined population accounting for one-third of the world's total, the joint pursuit of modernization for China and African countries is of great significance for advancing the modernization of the Global South and the world at large, said Wang, adding that the upgrading of the China-Africa relationship provides a solid political basis and institutional guarantee for the modernization drive.

Having eradicated absolute poverty and achieved a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the Chinese people are pursuing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. Africa is marching with solid strides toward the modernization goals set forth in the African Union's Agenda 2063. The joint modernization endeavors of China and African countries will also generate enormous opportunities for cooperation with each other, the Global South and the whole world, observers say.