China and African countries issue action plan to promote cooperation in the digital sector

China and the African countries have issued a China-Africa Action Plan for Digital Cooperation and Development, during the China-Africa Digital Cooperation Forum on Monday, aiming to promote cooperation and development in the digital sector between China and African countries.

The countries recognize that digital development plays an important role in advancing modernization. A digital Africa can be an important driver for global development. Digital development can facilitate inclusive growth and sustainable development, making it a key pathway to achieving the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035.

The countries believe that it is important to seize the opportunities of the digital era, to strengthen digital cooperation, to advance modernization through digitization, all of which align with the development paths and common interests of both China and African countries, and thus building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

The countries emphasize that international cooperation is essential for bridging the digital divide, and ensuring that people from around the world can have access to the benefits of digital technology.

Based on mutual respect and by the willingness, capacity and needs of the parties, it is agreed to carry out the following actions voluntarily:

1. Digital Policy Cooperation

Strengthening policy exchanges and cooperation is crucial for implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union Agenda 2063. The parties will enhance the alignment and communication of digital strategies, plans, and policies, will share development experiences, and will promote mutual learning from each other. Activities of cooperation may include negotiating and signing cooperation documents as needed, conducting dialogues and mutual visits, establishing cooperation mechanisms, and optimizing policy environments to foster business.

2. Digital Infrastructure Cooperation

Digital infrastructure is essential for promoting connectivity and improving digital inclusiveness in Africa. The parties will promote collaboration on building accessible, affordable and sustainable digital infrastructure, encouraging enterprises to engage in pragmatic cooperation in next-generation mobile communications, backbone networks, satellite communications, data centers, and cloud computing, all of which will enhance connectivity and digital inclusiveness.

3. Digital Innovation Cooperation

Digital innovation plays a crucial role in enhancing digital development momentum, stimulating the vitality of the digital economy, and promoting the development of digital startups. The parties will jointly advance the development and adoption of emerging technologies, explore cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, 5G/6G, high-performance computing, quantum communications, etc,. The parties will promote the building of joint Centers for AI Cooperation. The parties will jointly strengthen cooperation in SMEs, innovation projects incubation, investment and financing for startups, and the empowerment for youth and women.

4. Digital Transformation Cooperation

Digital technologies have immense potential across various fields, significantly raising efficiency of the economic and social organizations, and thus stimulating vitality for all sectors. The parties will work together to promote the widespread adoption of digital technologies, and thus accelerating digital transformation in areas such as agriculture, manufacturing, mining, energy, public services, urban management, finance, healthcare, education, tourism, retail and other sectors. Over the next three years, the parties will work together to implement ten digital transformation demonstration projects to empower high-quality China-Africa cooperation through digitization.

5. Digital Security Cooperation

It is important to strike a balance between development and security. The parties will collaborate on cyber security, data security, and personal information protection, and will encourage enterprises to develop technologies and solutions in digital security, and will support skill training and drill exercises. The parties will explore the possibility of building a joint laboratory on digital security.

6. Digital Capability Cooperation

Strengthening digital capacity is an enabler to implement the strategic plans for digital development. The parties are willing to enhance the exchange of ideas and best practices, and to put forward personnel training and exchange programs, encouraging research institutions, think tanks, and universities to work together to provide platforms for capacity-building cooperation. Over the next three years the parties will join efforts in training at least 1,000 digital talents to improve digital capabilities and literacy.

To raise the efficiency and effectiveness of the above-mentioned cooperation, the parties will work together to build collaborative partnerships at various levels, in which governments, business entities, academia, and financial institutions are all engaged, to facilitate China-Africa digital cooperation and development.

In the future, more participants are welcome to join the action plan to enrich the dimensions of cooperation and share the development opportunities.