China’s relationship with Africa is well documented. It is a long love story based on a shared need to survive in a rapidly changing global political and economic system. In September, Beijing hosted the IX Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), in which the Asian giant promised to allocate some 50 billion dollars to Africa in the next three years.
China is not doing charity or playing Santa Claus in Africa, but has its own interests on the continent. One of them is continuous and unimpeded access to essential natural resources. Africa has also become a large and lucrative market for its manufactured goods. In every home on the continent there is some “Made in China” product.
What does Africa gain from this marriage? We can clearly aim at infrastructure development. Until now, most of Chinese investment in Africa has been in the form of grants and loans to finance major works on the continent: schools, hospitals, dams, stadiums, roads, railway lines…
The IX FOCAC meeting sought to further deepen this marriage and the $50 billion promised will be allocated to food and military aid, in addition to promoting agriculture, industrialization and, of course, infrastructure. Critics suggest that, with such commitments, China is simply luring Africa into a debt trap.
African leaders don’t think so. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking to reporters in Beijing, rejected that concept. Most African countries see China as an alternative to the aid approach offered by the United States and the European Union. They are often perceived as having a condescending attitude toward Africa, which has given China an advantage. Anti-French sentiment in some of its former colonies, for example, reflects this reality. Africa is gravitating towards Beijing because it is perceived as a respectful partner without neocolonial attitudes. President Xi Jinping spoke of this in the opening speech of FOCAC: “Since the end of World War II, developing nations, represented by China and African countries, have achieved independence… and have been striving to correct the historical injustices.
Regardless of how the marriage between China and Africa evolves, Africa must strive for economic independence. The $50 billion that China is offering, divided among African countries, is actually little. They will have to be invested in sectors that generate benefits not only for the elites, but for the majority of poor citizens. It would make sense, for example, to prioritize the industrialization process and improve the agricultural sector. The introduction of technology in these crucial sectors could also propel Africa to become an economic powerhouse. It is essential to emphasize local value chains. This would accelerate job creation and address the problem of youth unemployment.
The time when Africa was limited to exporting raw materials must come to an end. The continent needs to develop a dynamic manufacturing sector that can present quality products with the “Made in Africa” label to the global market.
The FOCAC, created in 2000 and convened every three years, also needs transparent structures for monitoring and evaluating its agreements for the future. We need them. Otherwise, these meetings will simply become photo ops for African leaders.
Pictured above, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C), Senegal’s Foreign Minister Yassine Fall (L) and Congo’s Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso attend a joint press conference at the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) at the Great Hall of the People on September 5, 2024 in Beijing, China. Photography: VCG/Getty.
