China Africa Photo: VCG

Chinese and African leaders will meet in Beijing in early September for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) - the largest diplomatic event to be hosted by China in recent years with the highest attendance of foreign leaders. The event will showcase the sincere friendship and achievements from decades of China-Africa collaboration and set the new direction for future cooperation, said analysts from China and African countries, stressing that the gathering is also expected to set an example for Global South cooperation and contribute to global development and stability.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend FOCAC's opening ceremony on September 5 and deliver a keynote speech. During the summit, President Xi will host a welcoming banquet and related bilateral events for the leaders of FOCAC's African members and representatives of related African regional organizations and international organizations invited to the summit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday. 

The 2024 FOCAC will be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6. Chinese and African leaders will discuss the theme of "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," focusing on friendship, cooperation, and future prospects, Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong said at a briefing on Friday. 

Chen explained that during the summit, four high-level meetings will be held in parallel, covering the topics of governance, industrialization and agricultural modernization, peace and security, and high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. 

The summit marks another grand gathering of the China-Africa big family. It is also the largest diplomatic event China has hosted in recent years, with the highest attendance of foreign leaders. Leaders of many African countries and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission will lead delegations. The UN Secretary-General will be a special guest and relevant international and regional organizations will also attend the summit as observers, said Chen. 

Analysts said the summit will boost China-Africa relations, advance modernization, and foster a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, ushering in a new chapter for Global South cooperation and offering new hope for global peace and development. 

The summit is to be held as the global community seeks a vital dialogue amid rising anti-globalization trends such as isolationism, populism, protectionism, political instability, and retreating democracies, Dennis Munene Mwaniki, Executive Director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute, told the Global Times. 

FOCAC has elevated China-Africa development cooperation to new heights, boosting investment and financing in Africa. Moreover, it has introduced tariff-free measures for more African products and supported Africa's economic diversification, industrialization, and processing industry development. FOCAC has also enhanced political dialogue and high-level exchanges, allowing China to share its governance experience with African countries, Mwaniki told the Global Times.

New tech fuels cooperation

Many African scholars expressed hope for more cooperation in high-tech fields between China and Africa. 

A significant number of the telecommunications infrastructure on the continent today was built by China, financed by China or implemented by China, in less than 30 years. We are hoping these companies that have already landed in China will bring more digital technology in Africa, Mwangi Wachira, advisor to the government of Kenya and former economist at the World Bank, told the Global Times on Friday. With regard to Chinese new-energy vehicles, Wachira said that in terms of attracting foreign direct investment, the new energy sector is the fastest growing on the continent, and is led by Chinese companies. 

Under the current wave of global sci-tech revolution and industrial change, technological cooperation and innovation are of great significance in promoting the transformation and upgrading of China-Africa industries, according to a report released by the China-Africa Business Council on Friday.

Currently, Africa's digital economy stands at $115 billion. In its report, Endeavor, a global network of entrepreneurs, predicts that by 2050, the continent's digital economy will reach $712 billion, representing significant potential for growth. This means that Chinese companies will share more digital tech achievements to promote the connectivity of digital infrastructure construction, according to the report.

Innovations in financial cooperation including promoting the internationalization of the yuan and helping African countries develop inclusive financing are also on the way, the report said.

"China-Africa cooperation is important, as the world needs more than one point of view. The world needs to be truly multilateral. We want a multipolar world. The collaboration between Africa and China does help to create that multipolar world. It is a world that gives Africa all the hope that their voices will be heard," said Wachira.

"Through this summit, the profound friendship between China and Africa will be further deepened, and a more active voice will be raised in the global governance arena under the Global South to strive for more development opportunities for developing countries," Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.