Chinese FM Qin Gang’s visit to Africa re-energizes friendship and cooperation spirit

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has recently concluded his visit to a number of African countries which began on January 9. The countries visited include Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin and Egypt, coupled with a visit to the Africa Union (AU) Headquarters. Although this is Qin’s first visit to Africa since his appointment as the Foreign Minister, it is a continuation of a 33-year tradition that Chinese foreign ministers make their first overseas trips to Africa at the beginning of a new year. Indeed, this shows how China values its friendship with Africa.

A closer look at the visit will reveal that it has been preceded by three important events which not only provide the context underpinning the visit, but also inform the future content and nature of China’s cooperation with Africa and other parts of the world.

Firstly, the visit took place after the successful conclusion of the 20^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) which was held last October. The Congress not only re-elected President Xi Jinping as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, but also came up with a road map for national development and rejuvenation, flanked with modalities of cooperation with other countries.

Secondly, the visit took place in a period when the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end. The negative social and economic impacts, including loss of human lives, caused by the pandemic are still fresh in our minds. Likewise, the efforts undertaken by the Chinese Government in assisting other countries to cope with and recover from the pandemic, through supply of requisite medical equipment, tools and medicines, including vaccines, are highly appreciated. More importantly, new elements have been incorporated in the frameworks of China’s cooperation with the outside world to reflect the challenges and opportunities of the present time.

In this regard, new initiatives such as Silk Road for Health, Green Silk Road and Silk Road for Digitization, if effectively implemented, would not only address the negative effects of climate change, enhance the capability of Africa’s health systems in coping with pandemics, but reverse Africa’s marginalization in this digitalized world. Most importantly to note is that some of the projects incorporating the new elements have already been completed, such as the China-aided Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Headquarters building, which was visited by Foreign Minister Qin Gang during his visit to the AU Headquarters. As another monument of China-Africa friendship, the Africa CDC will go a long way in boosting the resilience of Africa’s health systems.

Thirdly, the 8^th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which was held in Dakar, Senegal on November 29-30, 2021, adopted the Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024) which earmarked “nine programs” for cooperation, namely the medical and health program, the poverty reduction and agricultural development program, the trade promotion program, the investment promotion program, the digital innovation program, the green development program, the capacity building program, the cultural and people-to-people exchange program, and the peace and security program.

Going through the Dakar Action Plan, one would realize that some aspects of the two prior events also feature significantly in the Plan. That’s why I said that they feed into each other.

In the implementation of the Dakar Action Plan, one of the focal areas is poverty reduction and agriculture development. This sector is a critical component of Africa’s social, economic and environmental development for a number of reasons, including the dependence of 64 percent of Africa’s households on agriculture for their livelihoods, extremely low agricultural productivity in the continent, suffering from the negative impacts of climate change and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, etc. The gravity of these reasons indicate that cooperation in this area is timely and highly needed. 

Actually, Qin Gang’s visit to Africa is the courier and carrier of the issues discussed above. This was stated implicitly at Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s regular press conference on January 9. Expounding on the objectives and mission of Qin Gang’s visit to Africa, Wang said, “China will follow the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith and a commitment to greater good and shared interests, carry forward the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, work with Africa to better implement the outcomes of the eighth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC, and further boost the growth of the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership.”

Given the positive track record of China in its cooperation with Africa, characterized by walking the talk and unwavering support to the continent, this is a moral booster for African countries to strengthen partnership with China. Indeed, Qin Gang’s recent visit to Africa has once again re-energized the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation.