China-Africa ties at 70: Path to a shared dream of modernization

As Chinese President Xi Jinping and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi exchanged congratulatory messages on Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of China-Egypt ties, the occasion also highlighted a broader milestone: seven decades of China-Africa relations.

Xi noted that over the past 70 years, China-Egypt relations have become a model of amity, solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, as well as a benchmark for cooperation between China and Arab states and between China and Africa.

Today, China-Africa relations have evolved from a friendship forged in shared struggles into a dynamic partnership dedicated to development, modernization and the rise of the Global South.

From solidarity to strategic partnership 

The foundations of China-Africa friendship were laid during a period of profound political change.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, China firmly supported African countries in their struggles for national independence and liberation. African nations, in turn, played a decisive role in restoring the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China at the United Nations in 1971. Of the 76 votes cast in favor of the resolution, 26 came from African countries – laying a strong foundation for China-Africa mutual trust.

Earlier this year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Africa, continuing a 36-year tradition of making the continent the destination of China's foreign minister's first overseas trip each year, highlighting the importance of China-Africa relations.

Over the past two decades, China-Africa cooperation has expanded rapidly. The establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000 provided an institutional framework for cooperation, while China's Africa policy of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith further guided bilateral relations. In 2015, the two sides elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and launched the "Ten Cooperation Plans," setting a strong foundation for rapid modernization across the African continent.

At the 2024 FOCAC summit, China and Africa further upgraded their relationship to an all-weather community with a shared future for the new era. China also expanded duty-free access from 33 African countries to all 53 African countries with diplomatic ties by 2025, becoming the first major economy to grant unilateral zero-tariff treatment across all product categories to every African country with which it has diplomatic relations.

Humphrey Moshi, a prominent Tanzanian economist, described China-Africa cooperation as a significant example of Global South solidarity. He said such solidarity helps transform developing countries from "passive participants" into "active shapers" of international rules.

Advancing modernization through practical cooperation

While political trust forms the foundation of China-Africa relations, economic cooperation has become both the stabilizer and growth engine of the partnership.

According to data released by China's General Administration of Customs, China-Africa trade reached a record $348 billion in 2025, up 17.7% from the previous year, with China remaining Africa's largest trading partner for the 17th consecutive year. The momentum has continued into 2026. In the first quarter alone, China's trade with the African countries totaled 646.56 billion yuan ($92.2 billion), a year-on-year increase of 23.7%.

At the same time, the Belt and Road Initiative has reshaped connectivity across the continent by upgrading the railway system with projects such as the Tazara Railway and the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, which are flagship projects that set examples for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa.

According to China's Foreign Ministry, China has signed debt-relief agreements or reached debt-relief understandings with 19 African countries as of 2023, making it the largest contributor to debt-service suspension efforts under the G20 framework.

Meanwhile, China has trained tens of thousands of African professionals through scholarships, vocational training and educational exchange programs. As of June 2025, China has established 17 Luban Workshops across 15 African countries, while the China-Africa university cooperation plan, a higher education initiative pairing Chinese universities with African institutions, has connected 114 higher education institutions.

Paul Frimpong, executive director and senior research fellow of the Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory, said China's contribution to Africa's development is increasingly visible.

"China's sharing of knowledge, skills and experience in sectors such as manufacturing and green energy is having a profound impact on Africa's journey toward modernization and self-reliance," he added.