FOCAC an opportunity to usher in new Sino-African cooperation

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Editor's Note: On September 2, 2018, the Daily Nation published a signed article by China's Ambassador to Kenya Sun Baohong entitled "FOCAC an opportunity to usher in new Sino-African cooperation." The full text is as follows:

After three years, leaders of African countries and China converged in the Chinese capital Monday and Tuesday for the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), under the theme of "China and Africa: Toward an even stronger community with a shared future through win-win cooperation".

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech titled "Work Together for Common Development and a Shared Future" at the opening ceremony of Beijing Summit of FOCAC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Sept. 3, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

At the turn of the millennium, on the proposal of African countries, a ministerial meeting of FOCAC was held in Beijing. Over the past 18 years, FOCAC has become a significant platform for collective dialogue between China and African countries and a leading mechanism for international ties with Africa and also South-South cooperation.

In the recent five years, China-Africa relations have gained practical results, bringing tangible benefits to both peoples, including unprecedentedly frequent high-level exchanges and strengthened political guidance.

China's President Xi Jinping and more than 30 Chinese leaders have visited Africa and over 60 African heads of state and government visited China, which has established strategic partnership or comprehensive cooperative partnership with 24 African countries.

Trading Partner

China has been Africa's top trading partner for nine consecutive years. Last year, China-Africa trade volume was 170 billion US dollars. China's investment in Africa is over 100 billion US dollars, more than 100 times that of 2000. There are more than 3,200 Chinese enterprises in Africa and many strategic projects have been carried out.

The cooperation has been transformed from government-oriented to market-oriented and upgraded from trade of goods to capacity cooperation and project contracting to one of investment and operation.

People-to-people cooperation is taking on a new look. Over the past five years, there were more than 100 activities on cultural exchanges and 200 cultural cooperation projects.

China has established 54 Confucius Institutes and 27 Confucius classrooms in 41 African countries. Last year, 628,000 African tourists visited China, 4.4 percent more than 2016, while over a million Chinese traveled to Africa.

New opportunity

African countries view the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a new opportunity for the cooperation. Some mega projects, such as the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway and the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, have been completed and are in operation.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta flags off a cargo train as it leaves the container terminal at the port of the coastal town of Mombasa on May 30, 2017. /VCG Photo

China always stands up and speaks for Africa on multilateral occasions, especially at the United Nations Security Council, and African countries reciprocate. China and Africa closely cooperate on important matters such as climate change and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

China has actively and constructively participated in maintaining peace and security in Africa and supported African countries' effort to resolve their challenges independently.

Some 2,000 Chinese peacekeepers are deployed in five missions in Africa while China has sent 30 escort fleets in the waters off Somalia to safeguard over 6,000 Chinese and other ships.

China has given 100 million US dollars in military aid to the African Union and supported the establishment of an African regular army and rapid reaction force.

Great contributions

Kenya is an important participant, builder and beneficiary of FOCAC and, together with China, has made great contributions to the implementation of the 2015 Johannesburg summit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Sept. 4, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

The two have carried out more than 30 economic and trade cooperation projects on industrialization, agricultural modernization and infrastructure construction. They include the Mombasa-Nairobi and Nairobi-Naivasha SGR and China-Africa Joint Research Centre, 67,000 training opportunities and projects on poverty relief, public health, cultural exchanges and peace and security cooperation.

Kenya is one of the most important BRI and the China-Africa cooperation partners.

Since 2000, I have been engaged in FOCAC and witnessed its growth. I believe this summit brings new opportunities and motivation for China-Kenya relations and ushers in a new era for China-Africa cooperation.

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