The ninth session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) concluded in Beijing, China, on September 6, 2024, with the participation of about 53 African countries and the African Union. The forum, being the largest gathering of Chinese and African leaders in recent years, took place amidst a highly complex regional landscape.
Amid discussions of the benefits and challenges of China’s role, the current intense polarization between major powers and emerging regional forces has provided African countries with significant leeway to maneuver between different camps.
Ten Initiatives:
During the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the 2025-2027 action plan, which will be implemented over the next three years to boost cooperation between the two sides in line with future developmental needs. This plan is based on ten partnership initiatives, covering broad areas of cooperation. Beijing has committed to providing financial support worth 360 billion yuan (approximately 50.8 billion USD) in the form of development aid, loans, and Chinese investments to ensure the success of these partnerships, which include:
Partnership for Learning and Mutual Knowledge Between Civilizations: The two sides will collaborate to build a dialogue partnership for the “Global Civilization Initiative” and a platform to exchange governance experiences between China and Africa. China will support the establishment of a China-Africa knowledge network for development and the launching of 25 China-Africa research centers. Additionally, it will enhance the use of the “African Leadership Academy” to train cadres in governance, along with training 1,000 African political party members.
Partnership to Boost Trade: China will grant 100% tariff exemptions for products from the least developed African countries that have diplomatic relations with China. It will also expand agreements on economic partnerships for joint development with African nations, broaden the scope of African agricultural exports to China, and enhance cooperation in e-commerce through the Belt and Road Initiative by building African capacities in this field.
Partnership to Strengthen African Industrial Chains: China has pledged to support Africa in developing local value chains, manufacturing, and deep processing of vital minerals. It will implement 10 projects supporting industrial complexes in African countries and hold 100 training sessions on manufacturing. Additionally, a new initiative to empower African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will provide financial support and offer 1,000 training opportunities for African entrepreneurs. Furthermore, a China-Africa cooperation center in digital technology will be established to accelerate the implementation of 20 Chinese digital infrastructure projects in Africa.
Partnership for Connectivity and Integration Among African Nations: China has committed to supporting African integration by implementing 30 infrastructure projects in Africa and continuing its support for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The development of integrated transportation and industrial infrastructure managed by Chinese companies in Africa will also be enhanced. A maritime rail transport network will be established, linking central and western China to Africa, alongside efforts to improve financial market connectivity between China and Africa, and assist African countries in issuing “Panda Bonds” in Chinese financial markets.
Partnership for Development Cooperation: China plans to support the implementation of 1,000 projects aimed at improving the lives of African citizens. Beijing will also support Africa in hosting the 2026 Youth Summer Olympics and the 2027 African Cup of Nations. For the least developed African countries that have diplomatic relations with China, China will cancel interest-free government loans by the end of 2024. The Chinese government will renew the China-World Bank Partnership Facility (CWPF) with 50 million USD to support inclusive and sustainable development in Africa.
Partnership for Healthcare: China will establish a China-Africa hospital alliance and collaborate with African nations to build joint medical centers and traditional medicine centers. It will provide training for 100 specialists in the medical field, support the development and operation of the headquarters of the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and five sub-regional centers. Additionally, China will send 2,000 medical workers and public health experts to Africa and launch a program titled “100 Medical Teams in 1,000 Villages” to provide free medical services. Ten healthcare facility programs and ten malaria eradication programs will be implemented, and Chinese companies will be encouraged to invest in the vaccine and pharmaceutical industries in Africa.
Partnership for Rural Development and Well-being: China will support Africa in eradicating hunger and achieving food security through several measures, including building or upgrading ten centers for agricultural technology. China will provide African nations with 1 billion yuan in emergency food aid and establish 100 experimental villages to reduce poverty through agricultural development. Furthermore, 500 agricultural experts will be sent to Africa, and initiatives such as the “100 Companies in 1,000 Villages” will continue, with 500 projects focusing on areas like women’s and children’s health, education and training, rural development, and clean drinking water. Chinese companies in Africa are expected to create at least 1 million local jobs.
Partnership for Educational and Cultural Exchange: China will continue to implement the “Africa’s Future” project, a China-Africa cooperation initiative in vocational education. It will also establish engineering technology schools with African countries, providing 60,000 training opportunities for Africans, prioritizing women’s empowerment and youth development programs. Moreover, regional cooperation centers for digital education between China and Africa will be established. Ten people-to-people exchange projects will be carried out, and China will work with African countries to enhance the “Cultural Silk Road” program. In 2026, 1,000 African specialists in culture and tourism will be invited to China for training, and 2026 has been designated as the Year of People-to-People Exchanges between China and Africa.
Partnership for Green Development: China has pledged to support Africa in enhancing its climate resilience, providing new energy technologies and products, and implementing 30 projects in clean energy and green development. A special green industrial chain fund will be established between the two sides. China will also strengthen capacity building and joint research in areas such as disaster prevention, mitigation, and biodiversity protection, as well as combating desertification and improving the environment. A platform for meteorological early warning services will be built, and China will host the China-Africa Forum on the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Technology.
Partnership for Shared Security: China will collaborate with Africa to establish and implement a partnership for the Global Security Initiative. China will provide a military grant worth 1 billion yuan to support African countries in strengthening their armed forces, training 6,000 military personnel, and inviting 500 young African military officers to visit China for joint exercises and patrols. Additionally, China will implement an initiative to assist Africa in landmine clearance and train 1,000 police officers across the continent.
Debt Trap:
The competitive advantages of the Chinese model in opening up to all African countries, and the positive outcomes this role has achieved, are primarily seen in its support for infrastructure projects, the enhancement of trade exchange rates, and the development of the telecommunications sector. Additionally, it has strengthened agricultural development and supported renewable energy and green transformation. This aspect is the most visible to Africans from an academic perspective or when surveying ordinary people’s perceptions of the Chinese partner. However, despite these positive aspects, there are also negative consequences to this role, leading many observers to conclude that Beijing is employing what is called “Chinese Debt-Trap Diplomacy.” Some of the key negative reflections of China’s role in Africa include:
Firstly, the exacerbation of the debt crisis: Chinese investments in infrastructure have significantly increased the public debt of African countries, which has multiplied several times since 2010, reaching 65% of the continent’s GDP in 2022. Paris Club members and non-member countries (especially China) accounted for 37% and 17%, respectively, of Africa’s total external debt. Countries like Djibouti, for instance, saw their external debt rise from 50% of GDP in 2016 to over 70% by 2020, with more than half of this debt burden originating from Chinese lending.
Moreover, accusations have been raised against Beijing for exacerbating African debt by encouraging governments to borrow under favorable terms, only to demand concessions when these countries struggle to repay.
While Western literature often exaggerates what it calls “Chinese Debt-Trap Diplomacy,” it is true that China’s investments in the continent are characterized by randomness and lack of planning, leading African countries into debt traps. However, Western donors (traditional lenders) are not exempt from this issue.
Secondly, the marginalization of African financial institutions: In one of its reports, the African Development Bank objectively discussed the impact of Chinese investments in Africa and pointed out that China’s increasing involvement in the continent, particularly in infrastructure, presents growing challenges to African financial institutions, such as the African Development Bank and others. China offers highly competitive pricing (low labor costs and loan interest rates) and monopolizes projects that require funding, limiting the movement of African institutions and hindering their ability to gain new expertise.
Thirdly, unequal trade and investment relationships: There is a clear imbalance in the structures of trade and investment between Africa and China, manifested in various ways. For instance, the growing rates of trade and investment between the two sides do not benefit all sectors in a way that diversifies the economies of the continent. Instead, they are concentrated in specific countries; about 70% of African exports to China come from Angola, South Africa, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Moreover, the vast majority of these exports are primarily raw materials such as oil, copper, cobalt, and cotton. There is also a clear trade deficit between China and Africa, which amounted to $47 billion in 2022 (16.7% of the total trade volume).
Fourthly, China’s dumping policy in Africa: Beijing is deliberately flooding African markets with its cheap products compared to local ones, posing a serious threat to African industries. This is particularly concerning in labor-intensive industries such as clothing and footwear production. One study, which surveyed approximately 96% of local producers in Ethiopia, found that Chinese competition forced 28% of them into bankruptcy and 32% to reduce their activities.
Fifthly, the low quality of Chinese infrastructure projects: While the Chinese have made significant contributions to developing infrastructure in Africa, there is a widespread perception that the roads, bridges, and other construction projects China builds are of poor quality. Reports frequently emerge of roads or hospitals funded by China collapsing or showing cracks shortly after being opened. However, African estimates, such as those from the African Development Bank, suggest that this deficiency in Chinese infrastructure projects also extends to projects by traditional donors, which sometimes overlook sustainability issues or fail to build African capacities to maintain these projects in the future.
In conclusion, the ninth session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, attended by almost all African countries, introduced partnership initiatives covering areas of mutual learning and knowledge exchange, trade promotion, African industrial chains, continental integration, developmental cooperation, healthcare, rural development, social welfare, green development, and shared security. These initiatives confirmed China’s ongoing focus on Africa at a time when Washington’s and its allies’ influence on the continent is significantly waning.
Beijing has benefited greatly from increasing its influence in Africa using all diplomatic, economic, security, and cultural tools, far surpassing the gains made by African countries. This raises questions about the “win-win situation” that China promotes in its relationships with African nations and the Global South.
Nonetheless, China’s role, much like Russia’s, gives ruling African elites significant room for maneuvering, especially amid the growing strategic competition between various major and emerging powers on the African stage in recent years. These elites exploit this to obtain loans for infrastructure projects, arms deals, food and medical aid, or at the very least, ensure China’s neutrality in the UN Security Council or rely on it to counter Western pressures. These financial and non-financial gains help secure Beijing’s influence and present it as a trustworthy ally despite the “debt trap.”
