Beijing is hosting the ninth meeting of the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum on Thursday and Friday. The event gathers diplomats from the African Union and eight African countries as well as representatives of academic institutions and think tanks from China and Africa.

It aims to rewind the history of cooperation between China and Africa over the last two decades and the prospects of expanding relations in the future.

One of the issues discussed is efforts to help African countries resolve their debt issue. One of the Chinese scholars raised up the issue of allegations circulating over the past decade about China trying to entrap African countries in debt commitments.

"Many people say China has many many loans to Africa. Africa's external debt is composed of three parts, private, multilateral, and bilateral, which is the smallest part. Actually, China's portion in African debt, mainly bilateral, is only 20 percent", observed Zhou Yuyuan, Associate Research Fellow of Shanghai Institute of International Studies, adding there's no evidence that China's been following such policies in Africa.

"So far, we didn't find any evidence that can be regarded as a trap. A debt trap says China will take the assets. But if you look at cases and agreements, there's no term saying China will take the ports or the assets."

China has vowed to exempt 15 African countries from interest-free loans due by the end of 2020 and will continue to work with the international community, especially other G20 members, to further extend the debt relief period.

Scholars are calling on developed countries and multilateral institutions to work together with China to protect Africa from a debt crisis, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Twenty percent, compared to the other 80 percent, means the debt bubbles Africa have is outside of China. It's important for every stakeholder that's invested in Africa to have a clearly financed sustainable way of managing this debt," said Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan Scholar on China-Africa Relations.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the launching of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation or FOCAC.

It's regarded as a dynamic platform and an effective mechanism for the two sides to carry out collective dialogues and practical cooperation.

Since 2000, trade between China and Africa has grown more than 20 times, hitting $208.7 billion in 2019 from a meager $10 billion in 2000. China has been Africa's leading trading partner for the past 11 years.

"The perception some people have of our good relation or excellent relation is no more than competition between ideologies and blocks," Martin Mpana, head of African Diplomatic Mission to China and Ambassador of Cameroon to China, told CGTN.

"We should know that Africans represent 1.2 billion mouths to feed. It's very important term of trade. Some countries or regions or blocks are afraid that China might take it all. But that's not the message China and Africa's sending to the world. We say everybody's welcome," he added.

The forum also focuses on fighting the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, poverty alleviation, the Belt and Road Initiative and free trade. Organizers say it aims to provide intellectual support to building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.