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Hopes and expectation for the 2024 upcoming FOCAC Summit

THE 2024 summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6. Many African Heads of State, Governments and Representatives from regional and international African organisation are expected to attend the summit.

The summit, under the theme of “Joining Hands to Advance Modernisation and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” aims to create new avenues for solidarity and cooperation, thereby accelerating the shared development of both sides.

The Summit is expected to bear fruitful results to further deepen Sino-African relations, and strengthen the strategic partnership between Africa and China. Like previous summits, the Beijing summit is also expected to present an opportunity to deepen cooperation in areas such as education, infrastructure development, healthcare and technology.

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With the African Development Bank estimating that Africa’s need for infrastructure funding is between $130 billion and $170 billion annually, it is hoped and expected that the upcoming FOCAC summit will present an opportunity to address such a challenge.

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With that estimated amount of money, it is clear that African nations will struggle to get funding from Western financial institutions; thus, it is expected that the next summit will provide ways to facilitate access for funds to accelerate the construction of strategic infrastructures that will help bridge infrastructure shortage in the continent.

As African countries intensify efforts to boost intraAfrica trade, quality infrastructure, such as roads and railways, is needed to support the free movement of goods and support trade on the continent; therefore, it is likely that the upcoming FOCAC summit will prioritise infrastructure development to enhance connectivity between African countries, as well as connectivity between China and Africa as a whole.

This connectivity is the engine that drives economic growth and feeds into the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which has drawn the participation of 44 sub-Saharan African countries. It is important to note that, in order for African countries to achieve their AU Agenda 2063 goals and UN SDGs 2030, they first need to bridge their infrastructure gap. To achieve that, they need access to fund.

Therefore, we believe and expect that through the next summit, China will increase its commitment to facilitate the access of funds for construction of development infrastructure.

Africa’s high expectations of achieving its AU Agenda 2063 are based on the fact that China is the largest financier of development infrastructure construction in the continent.

According to the Africa Report, China contributes more than 30 per cent of the financing of all construction projects in Africa. For this reason we believe that China will increase its funding to enable African countries bridge their infrastructure deficit and achieve their independent development.

It should be noted that, one of the AU agendas 2063 requires all member countries to complete or reduce their infrastructure gap by 90 per cent by 2050.

In the period of 39 years, which is from now to 2063, the amount of money that is required to achieve the goals of AU Agenda 2063 is almost $6 trillion – $6.6 trillion as per AfDB estimates. During the same period, each country will have to spend at least $111- $122 billion to complete or at least to bridge its infrastructure gap.

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It is clear that until the year 2063, the above stated amount will double due to the increase in the price of construction materials and construction costs as well. Therefore, China is expected to make significant contribution to helping African countries achieve their AU Agenda 2063 goals by facilitating access to funds for infrastructure construction.

It is worth noting that since the establishment of this forum in 2000, the focus has been on achieving shared prosperity and sustainable development for the Chinese and African peoples, through a commitment to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

Thus, FOCAC has been highly beneficial in nurturing China-Africa relations; there have been significant investments in roads, railways and ports that have improved trade and mobility for many African nations.

There have been joint efforts too in combating diseases like Ebola and Covid-19, including improving healthcare infrastructure and capacities for some countries in Africa.

Since 2000, Chinese enterprises have built more than 13,000 kilometres of railways, more than 100,000 kilometres of roads, nearly 1,000 bridges, 100 ports, 80 large scale power facilities, more than 45 stadiums and nearly 66,000 km of power transmission and distribution.

Through FOCAC, China has also aided the construction of more than 130 medical facilities and a large number of hospitals and more than 130 schools in Africa.

All these infrastructures have made outstanding contributions to enhancing independent development capacity in Africa. It should be noted that, Chinese engagement in Africa is different from that of the former colonial powers and some other major nations.

Chinese engagement often focuses on mutual benefit and non interference, prioritising development and long-term investments. In contrast, Western partners sometimes emphasise governance reforms and conditional aid.

China’s approach has been appreciated for its focus on practical development outcomes and respecting domestic sovereignty.” As the forum approaches its 25th anniversary next year, it has evolved into an important platform for collective dialogue and an effective mechanism for practical cooperation between China and Africa, built on a solid foundation of friendship, respect, trust, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

In light of all this, the trajectory of China-Africa relations over the past decades has recorded numerous positive indicators, demonstrating a consistent upward trend in strengthening and expanding cooperation across various fields. The following are some of the key indicators.

First; Trade has grown between the two sides, making China Africa’s largest trading partner today. Recent years have seen an expansion in both the volume and quality of trade between China and the African continent.

According to the ChinaAfrica Trade Index, published for the first time in 2023, the value of China’s imports from and exports to Africa increased from less than 100 billion yuan (about 14 billion U.S. dollars) in 2000 to 1.88 trillion yuan (about 263 billion dollars) in 2022, a cumulative increase of about 20 times.

In 2023, the China-Africa trade volume reached a record high of 282.1 billion dollars, an annual increase of 1.5 per cent. China’s imports of nuts, vegetables, flowers and fruits from Africa increased by 130 per cent, 32 per cent, 14 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively, year on year.

Second: China has been committed to supporting Africa’s economic integration. China has expressed its support for the practical steps taken by the African Union to enhance the economic integration of its member states.

China commended the 37th African Union Summit for announcing the implementation of the second decade of “Agenda 2063,” aimed at enhancing economic integration, infrastructure connectivity and agricultural productivity.

In this context, China also supports the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which was officially launched in 2019.

The AfCFTA aims to reduce tariffs, eliminate trade barriers and promote the development of trade and investment within the region, facilitating the free movement of goods, services and capital across the African continent.

The AfCFTA offers advantages by facilitating access to regional markets and enhancing production chains across the continent, better preparing African industries for the increasingly competitive global market. China’s support for African integration efforts stems from Beijing’s desire to be a partner in the continent’s modernisation, development and progress along the independent path its people have chosen.

The upcoming summit is expected to explore ways to strengthen friendship and cooperation, to facilitate access of capital, increase infrastructure funding, trade and investment and to write a new chapter on building a China-African community with a shared future for mankind.

(The writer is a Dar es Salaam-based analyst on international politics and foreign relations. Email: cleophacegeorge@gmail.com)