China and African nations are consolidating the cooperation during challenging times

As the world sleepwalks toward a new and dangerous regional conflict provoked by Israel's brazen attacks on Iran with the backing of Washington and Iran's counterattacks, China is building bridges of peace through economic cooperation with nations of the Global South. On June 11, the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was held in Changsha, Hunan province, to coordinate the implementation and follow-up of the action plan adopted in last year's FOCAC Summit in Beijing.

Several additional steps were taken to enhance the 10-point plan presented by President Xi Jinping in the 2024 summit. China has decided to include all African nations with which it has diplomatic relations in the zero-tariff policy regarding imports from these nations. In the original plan, out of the 53 African nations only 33 which are categorized as least developed countries were included. Furthermore, new export-stimulating procedures were added to the action plan to support the agricultural sector of African nations. It is quite ironic that this new zero-tariff policy by China comes on the heels of the United States administration's trade and tariff wars against most nations of the world. China's openness toward the world is in sharp contrast to the US isolationist and counterproductive "America First" doctrine.

The fact that the ministerial meeting held in Hunan is interesting from different standpoints. Hunan is home to what is called the "Hunan model" that replaces the old model which was characterized by the exchange of cheap African raw materials for expensive finished goods. This is how the neocolonial relationship between Africa and its former colonial masters was shaped, but not China's. The Chinese model of cooperation within the FOCAC is based not on helping Africa but enabling it to utilize its natural and human resources for development. In 2015 at FOCAC Johannesburg Summit in South Africa, President Xi said that, to achieve industrialization and modernization, Africa needs to overcome three bottlenecks of development — the lack of infrastructure, skilled workers and capital.

China has since then focused on these three aspects. As transport, power and skilled labor have started to increase, the industrialization of the continent has started to pick up the pace. Through Chinese investments, industries are relocating to Africa and industrial parks are popping up in African countries, such as Egypt, Morocco, Rwanda, Uganda and Nigeria, to name just a few. African nations do not want to continue to be exporters of cheap raw materials and importers of expensive finished goods. Many of the goods needed in Africa are now being increasingly produced within Africa.

The "Hunan model" is focused on the three main areas which has made the province excel at them. These are modern agriculture and machinery, poverty alleviation and vocational training. By sharing modern agricultural technology with African nations, two major dilemmas can be resolved. First, many African nations lack food security due to low agricultural productivity. Utilizing modern techniques, these nations can increase their basic staple food production and reduce or eliminate their food insecurity. A large number of pilot agricultural research centers and farms have been established by China and African countries to serve this purpose. Second, other African nations, which have much greater agricultural potential, lack the infrastructure for packaging, refrigerating and transporting the produce to market. By providing the infrastructure, China is enabling these nations to solve this dilemma. In 2020, Ethiopia, which was typified by recurring famines in recent history, exported the first cargo of fresh avocadoes to Europe, using refrigerated containers on the China-built railway from Addis Ababa to the port of Djibouti on the Red Sea. Ethiopia uses the same railway for importing fertilizers and machinery for its growing agricultural sector.

As for vocational training, there will be an acceleration in implementing the "Future of Africa" China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Plan that aims to build schools of engineering technology and 10 Luban Workshops, an international program named after an ancient Chinese master craftsman that provides vocational skills training for youth. In total, these initiatives will provide 60,000 training opportunities for African youth. It is noteworthy that in 2017, China surpassed both the US and the United Kingdom in the number of African students enlisted in its universities. Much of the vocational and educational programs are focused on agriculture, engineering, and science and technology.

Contrary to the mythology spread by opponents of the Belt and Road Initiative, China has not stopped lending and investing in infrastructure projects in Africa. China, as President Xi declared at the FOCAC Summit last year in Beijing, will carry out 30 infrastructure connectivity projects in Africa under the framework of the BRI, connecting China and Africa through a network of land-sea links. President Xi also pledged 360 billion yuan ($50 billion) of financial support in three years. Two-thirds will be in the form of loans, and one-third is in assistance and investment in Africa by Chinese companies.

The Chinese and African sides also emphasized cultural and people-to-people exchanges. In the 2024 summit, the two sides decided to launch a cultural Silk Road program as well as an initiative of cooperation on innovation in mass media. They also agreed to designate the year 2026 as the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges". Last year, the number of Chinese tourists to certain countries in Africa increased dramatically. Countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Egypt are becoming popular destinations for Chinese tourists.

This FOCAC ministerial meeting came at a time when the US has proven itself to be a unreliable and unpredictable partner for most nations of the world. China has shown stability and consistency between words and deed, and between short-term and long-term goals. This is extremely important for stable trade and economic cooperation. At the same time, US President Donald Trump's much-touted "peace through strength" has failed in every case where he said he would achieve peace within days. The Ukraine crisis keeps escalating, the war in Gaza is still raging and the suffering of the Palestinian people has increased.

China's philosophy of peace through economic cooperation, which is embedded in the BRI, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, is more suited for the changing world today. It can circumvent all kinds of conflicts by focusing on the common goals rather than the differences among nations. Cultural and economic exchanges are the best tools for easing tensions and building trust and solidarity among states and peoples.

The author is vice-chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden and a distinguished research fellow at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.