The cooperation between Africa and China has been strengthened by the recent hosting of the G20 Summit in South Africa, one of the leading members of the Global South and a founding member of this multilateral body. The Summit deepened existing ties, culminating in the launch of the Initiative on Cooperation Supporting Modernisation on the final day, Sunday the 23rd, in Johannesburg.
China and South Africa famous as champions of multilateral cooperation
Both South Africa and China have been anticipating the realization of this initiative, which is designed to modernize the African continent through development projects aimed at enhancing economic growth in selected countries, backed by the People’s Republic of China. At its core lies the principle of multilateralism, a shared objective among Global South nations and with China and South Africa famous as champions of multilateral cooperation and international transformation, progress on that score is bound to be realised.
Modernisation is neither single-choice nor for the privileged few countries
Explaining China’s role in the initiative, Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Miao Deyu said: “Achieving modernisation is the shared dream of all developing countries. As the largest developing country, China, in light of its own national conditions, has successfully explored a path of Chinese modernisation featuring a huge population, common prosperity for all, material and cultural-ethical progress, harmony between humanity and nature and peaceful development. China has proven through its own practice that modernisation is by no means a single-choice question, nor is it a privilege reserved for a handful of countries.” Miao.
China has proven through its own practice that modernisation is by no means a single-choice question
This joint initiative was announced earlier by the Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Li Qiang, when he addressed G20 summit first session. It is also a sequel to discussions between China’s President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa who agreed on the launch date during the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and during Ramaphosa’s state visit to China that year. The two Presidents set the Johannesburg G20 summit as the suitable and ideal time for the initiative to be launched. This comes just under six months after President Xi announced that all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with Beijing, would get tariff-free trade with China, a move that was bound to become a catalyst for the strengthening of trade with the continent.
all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with Beijing, would get tariff-free trade with China
China’s objective of expanding trade opportunities with Africa and strengthening cooperation across the continent is envisaged to gain momentum through this Africa Modernisation Initiative, in which China will play a central role. This is a factor Miao emphasized clearly during his address to the media at the launch, held at the Nasrec Expo Centre.
Call for all hands on the deck for Africa’s modernisation
As part of the cooperative initiative between China and Africa, Miao emphasized that the international community is being called upon to “pool greater efforts, provide broader space for cooperation, and offer stronger support for Africa’s modernisation.” Africa’s participation in the project ensures alignment with the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and reflects the key themes highlighted at the Johannesburg G20 Summit. He noted the themes that included trade facilitation, green development, poverty reduction, improved livelihoods, universal health, climate change, and value chain enhancement, issues that remain central to fostering deeper cooperation.
The Vice Minister expressed pride that the initiative was jointly drafted by Africa and China, noting that it carries distinctive African features while charting a path for the continent’s development. According to Miao, the initiative reflects Africa’s aspirations, needs, and expectations, while ensuring that the continent itself remains the primary beneficiary. Through the initiative Africa should be able to enjoy the fruits of economic globalisation while the whole idea was also meant to support multilateralism that the entire Global South was pursuing.
Through the initiative Africa should be able to enjoy the fruits of economic globalisation
Leapfrog development through tireless efforts and handwork
According to Miao, the international community must be goal-and action-oriented, act in an equitable manner, practise openness, diversity, and inclusivity, and ensure win-win outcomes in their development assistance. He explained: “The world today, he said, is far from tranquil, the law of the jungle where the strong bully the weak and the big bully the small is resurfacing. Africa has been suffering from the headwinds of protectionism.”
The Global South, he added, could also achieve leapfrog development through tireless efforts and hard work, but historical injustice, unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying were responsible for severely hindering Africa’s progress. But the African people have given their answer because as long as any country found a development path suited to itself, the dream of modernisation will no longer be far away.
This sentiment was voiced by South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-Operation, Thandi Moraka, who was one of the speakers at the media briefing organised to announce the initiative. “We believe that modernisation is a common pursuit and an inalienable right of all countries in the world. We call on the international community to contribute to the sustainable development of Africa so that no country is left behind on the path to modernisation,” Moraka said.
call on the international community to contribute to the sustainable development of Africa
Moraka commended China’s eight actions for global development as outlined in President Xi’s at the G20 Rio de Janeiro Summit. The Deputy Minister recalled China’s contribution in facilitating the adoption of the Initiative on Supporting Industrialisation in Africa and Least Developed Countries during the G20 Hangzhou Summit commended the Johannesburg’s Summit with its aligned themes focusing on ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’.
A blueprint opening paths towards green and sustainable development in mining
Indonesia’s Co-ordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartanto, and Rebecca Grynspan, secretary general for UNTAD also spoke at the media launch outlining Indonesia’s contribution and the role played by UNTAD respectively. In his address to journalist and guests, China’s director-general of the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Trade and Economic Affairs, Lin Feng told announced that countries to benefit from global green development and the building of a partnership for mineral resource co-operation facilitated by China were from Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. The initiative is supported by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
“The initiative paints a blueprint, providing feasible paths towards green, sustainable development in mining. It elucidates the concept of green mining and minerals and identifies seven cooperative areas to share benefits through joint contribution in a flexible practical manner,” Feng said.
