Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday evening, welcoming African and international guests attending the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and posted for a group photo with the guests. In his toast at the welcoming banquet, President Xi frequently mentioned the China-Africa community with a shared future, emphasizing that it is built on a strong foundation, has been blessed with a good start, and enjoys broad prospects. He noted that it sets a stellar example for building a community with a shared future for mankind. There is no doubt that this summit will be another historic event witnessing and developing the China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

Over the past few days, heads of state, government leaders and representatives from over 50 FOCAC members, along with the chairperson of the African Union Commission, the secretary-general of the UN and several heads of international organizations, have gathered in Beijing. This has not only set a new record for the scale of diplomatic events that China has hosted in recent years and the number of attending leaders, but it has also become a significant milestone in the history of China-Africa relations and interactions among "Global South" countries. Meanwhile, enthusiasm for the 2024 Beijing Summit of FOCAC continues to rise on multiple levels. According to statistics, the summit has attracted over 3,000 registered journalists from China and abroad, setting a new record for FOCAC. An important supporting event, the Eighth Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs, is also expected to reach a scale of 1,000 participants this year. Enthusiastic registration far exceeded expectations, with 408 representatives from 48 African countries signing up to participate.

Matching the rising momentum, the content of China-Africa cooperation is also continuously being updated and elevated. This summit is expected to achieve three "new" outcomes: embarking on a new journey toward building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, gathering new momentum for deepening cooperation across various sectors between China and Africa, and writing a new chapter in the friendship between the people of China and Africa. China-Africa cooperation, while is being strengthened in traditional industries such as agriculture, infrastructure, and manufacturing, is also expanding to include more emerging sectors and new elements like green development, healthcare, finance, and digital innovation. 

For example, at the Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs, corporate representatives will mainly discuss about and share experiences on the two topics of "promoting the integration of industrial and supply chains" and "driving the development of emerging industries." Cooperation in the field of new energy vehicles has also become a highlight of the summit. The strong complementarity between China and Africa, along with China's massive production capacity and Africa's high expectations for cooperation with China, provides powerful support for the joint pursuit of modernization between China and Africa.

The deepening of China-Africa cooperation and the enduring spirit of China-Africa friendship are rooted in the shared destiny that has been evident at every stage of the development of China-Africa relations. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, China's first-generation leaders, together with the older generation of African politicians, pioneered a new era of China-Africa relations. Since the 21st century, especially in the new era, China and Africa have continuously strengthened their comprehensive, multi-dimensional cooperation across various fields, including trade, agriculture, education, science and technology, and healthcare, yielding fruitful results. In 2023, China-Africa trade reached $282.1 billion, with China maintaining its position as Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. 

"We have been fighting shoulder to shoulder imperialism, colonialism, and hegemonism, and advancing hand in hand along the path of development, revitalization, and modernization." This is the most direct, accurate and vivid summary of China-Africa relations.

In recent years, driven by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, Africa's industrialization and various infrastructure capabilities have seen significant improvements. The previous sessions of the FOCAC have consistently emphasized "industrial integration" and "industrialization" in their action plans. To date, 52 African countries and the African Union Commission have signed BRI Cooperation Documents with China. China will also sign new cooperation plans with some African countries to promote the continued deepening of the China-Africa cooperation in building the "Belt and Road." In recent years, China and Africa have collaborated to build and upgrade nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, over 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly a thousand bridges, and close to a hundred ports. This has greatly improved Africa's transportation network, significantly enhancing logistics efficiency and market access, and playing a significant role in promoting the economic development of African countries.

In the coverage of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, Western media outlets that were critical of China and China-Africa cooperation have changed their tone. Aside from the usual repetition of clichés like "debt traps," which have been repeatedly debunked by facts, some outlets have shifted to explore why China has such strong appeal in Africa and has gained support from African countries. Some media outlets that have long bad-mouthed China-Africa cooperation have to admit that African countries have benefited greatly from their engagement with China. In fact, at a time when economic globalization is facing a severe "trust crisis," the collaboration between China and Africa to expand the economic development "cake" provides insights and direction for global economic development. China and Africa have also been actively practicing their commitment to the pursuit of universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization through concrete actions.

There is a proverb in Africa: "You can never tie a knot with one hand." Similarly, there is a Chinese proverb: "A single strand does not make a thread. nor can one hand clap." In the journey of development and revitalization, China and Africa have achieved fruitful results through mutually beneficial cooperation and exchanges. In the future, the 2.8 billion people of China and Africa will strengthen their unity and cooperation, which will surely inject new momentum into cooperation among the "Global South" and open up new horizons for building a community with a shared future for mankind.