On 28 April 2024, an article titled “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future” by H.E. Long Zhou, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, was published in The Nation and Daily Times, promoting the traditional friendly relations between China and Africa, elaborating the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The following is the full text of the article:

The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing from Sept. 4 to 6. Six years after the 2018 FOCAC Summit, Chinese and African leaders will once again gather in Beijing to plan the way forward for friendly cooperation. The theme of the 2024 FOCAC Summit is“Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future”. China and Africa will exchange governance experience and carry out discussions on taking China-Africa cooperation to the next level and keep it up to date. 

Since its establishment in 2000, the FOCAC, focusing on the realization of common prosperity and sustainable development of both Chinese and African people and adhering to the approach of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits, has developed into an important platform for collective dialogue and an effective mechanism for practical cooperation between China and Africa. From the “Ten Cooperation Plans” to the “Eight Major Initiatives” to the “Nine Programs”, China and Africa have helped each other on the road to economic development and national revitalization, and have continued to expand new areas of cooperation, which played a positive role and paved a right way to develop international cooperation with Africa.

China’s cooperation with Africa, which is part of the South-South cooperation, is based on equality and consent. It does not follow the old model of the big powers, and does not hurt Africa’s long-term interests. China adheres to the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and takes the right approach to friendship and interests. China does not interfere in Africa’s internal affairs, does not impose its own will on others, and does not attach any political strings to its assistance to Africa. It has blazed a trail of win-win cooperation with Africa. At the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue held in August last year, China launched the Initiative on Supporting Africa’s Industrialization, Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. These three major initiatives cover areas urgently needed for African modernization, demonstrating China’s sincerity in supporting Africa’s development through practical actions.

Decades of hard work has delivered fruitful results in China-Africa cooperation. For 15 years in a row, China has remained Africa’s largest trading partner. Two-way trade hit a record high of US$ 282.1 billion in 2023. China is also Africa’s largest source of investment among developing countries. By the end of 2022, the stock of Chinese direct investment in Africa had topped US$ 40 billion. More than 3,000 Chinese companies invest and have business in Africa, creating a large number of local jobs, helping to upgrade and transform Africa’s industrial chains and increase the added value of African products.

In recent years, China actively synergize the Belt and Road Initiative, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and the Global Development Initiative with the Malawi Vision 2063. China has implemented a number of assistance projects, such as the five community technical colleges, the rehabilitation of M1 road and the fingerprint laboratory. China has also cooperated with Malawi in the construction of large-scale projects, like the National Fiber Backbone Project. These have effectively promoted local economic and social development and improved people’s livelihood. Since 2008, 11 batches of Chinese medical teams totaling about 200 doctors have been sent to Malawi, making positive contributions to the development of Malawi’s medical and health care. The Chinese government provides more than 100 scholarships and training opportunities every year, so that more outstanding Malawian young people could become witnesses and beneficiaries of China-Malawi friendship. 

In July this year, the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China convened its Third Plenary Session. The Session adopted the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization, which presents over 300 major reform measures and demonstrates China’s firm determination to opening-up to the outside world. China is pursuing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. Africa is moving at an accelerated speed toward the bright prospects envisioned in Agenda 2063. China is willing to work with African countries, including Malawi, taking the FOCAC summit as an opportunity, to join hands to advance modernization and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.