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SCMP Reporters

This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech to open the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit (FOCAC) on Thursday shed light on how Beijing plans to expand ties with the continent amid an intensified rivalry with the US-led West.
Billed as Beijing’s biggest diplomatic event in years, leaders and representatives of more than 50 African countries are attending the forum, which is held every three years.
They are expected to discuss topics including infrastructure projects, climate change, the new energy industry, security and peace, and Africa’s loan problems.


More from our coverage of the summit
- China agrees to major Africa funding deals as Beijing hosts continent’s leaders
- African leaders look to China for project funds, trade deals at Beijing summit
- China urges closer Africa ties amid ‘surging hegemonism’, ahead of key summit
Reporting by Josephine Ma, Jevans Nyabiage, Kawala Xie and Zhao Ziwen


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China-Africa relations

China to open markets to African countries, Xi Jinping says – FOCAC summit as it happened

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening ceremony of the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

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Leaders of more than 50 African countries gather in Beijing, with climate, infrastructure, security and debt on the agenda


Leaders of more than 50 African countries gather in Beijing, with climate, infrastructure, security and debt on the agenda.


Belt and Road Initiative

South Africa

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Djibouti

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President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet for the representatives and their spouses from the 51 African countries at the Great Hall of People in Beijing on Wednesday night.
In a short speech to welcome the guests, Xi said China and African countries had a long relationship in fighting colonialism and “hegemonism” and their friendship would weather changes.
“Since the mid-20th century, we have been shoulder to shoulder fighting imperialism, colonialism, and hegemonism, and advancing hand in hand along the path of development, revitalisation, and modernisation,” he said.
“China-Africa friendship remains robust and is growing stronger through generations no matter how the world changes.”



Welcome dinner

Since Monday, Xi has held a whirlwind of meetings with leaders of dozens of African countries, including South Africa, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Two documents that will guide China-Africa cooperation for the next three years will be adopted at the conclusion of the forum, following a two-decade tradition.



Diplomatic whirlwind

China has been Africa’s biggest trading partner for the past 15 years, with trading volume in 2023 reaching a record US$282.1 billion.
Thanks in large part to the Belt and Road Initiative, direct investment from China reached US$40 billion in 2023, making Beijing one of Africa’s top sources of foreign investment.
The continent has become the fastest growing destination for Chinese infrastructure investment.
Africa was the biggest recipient of Chinese belt and road investment last year, overtaking the Middle East as a destination for funds.


Economic ties

Africa’s trade deficit with China widened to US$64 billion last year, and the growing trade imbalance is among the major challenges facing ties between the two sides.
The gap shrank in the first half of 2024 thanks to rapidly growing imports from Africa, ranging from agricultural products to metals and raw materials for China’s new energy sector.
During his meeting with Xi on Wednesday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed hopes of narrowing the trade deficit and improving the “structure of our trade”.



Trade gap

Debt remains one of the most controversial issues in Sino-African relations, prompting scrutiny from the West.
China’s financial institutions provided more than US$170 billion in credit, loans, and grants to African nations between 2000 and 2022, mainly to fund infrastructure projects tied to the belt and road.
Although the continent’s total debt to China has been shrinking since the mid-2010s, Chinese lending to Africa ticked up last year to US$4.61 billion, marking the highest volume of credit extended since 2019.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is currently in Beijing, is expected to sign new loan agreements with China.


Debt issues

While China’s new energy sector faces growing restrictions and accusations of “overcapacity” in the West, the industry is finding new opportunities in Africa
Chinese exports of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products to Africa have rocketed in recent years. Last year, the three categories saw annual exports to Africa increase by 291 per cent, 109 per cent, and 57 per cent respectively.
Electric vehicle (EV) companies are rushing to expand their factories in Africa, especially in the continent’s more developed countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco.
China’s green energy sector has also been lured by Africa’s wealth of raw materials. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese mining companies have been booming on the continent, from the DRC and Namibia to Zimbabwe and Mali.



New energy boom

Sino-African security ties are growing as well.
China’s only overseas naval base is located in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Gabon, on the continent’s Atlantic coast, promised Beijing it could station its military in the country.
Beijing has become a major arms seller and donor on the continent, where frequent coups have threatened Chinese investments.
China was the biggest arms supplier for sub-Saharan Africa from 2019 to 2023, supplying 19 per cent of the weapons entering the region and narrowly overtaking Russia, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.



Weapons and bases

A number of political parties from African countries – including Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Morocco, and Uganda – have approached China’s Communist Party to help them build schools for training politicians.
Government officials from across the continent also frequently tour China to study governance or attend training through virtual channels.


Party links

Established in 2000, FOCAC has 55 members: China, the African Union, and 53 African countries.
The triennial forum has now been held nine times, with the organisers alternating between China and locations in Africa.
Aside from the two traditional concluding documents – a declaration and a plan of action – the 2021 FOCAC summit issued two papers about climate change and the 2035 Vision for China-Africa Cooperation.



FOCAC facts

The attendees of the summit include 51 African heads of state and government, two presidential representatives, the chairman of the African Union Commission and the secretary general of the United Nations.


Who’s who

Xi walks to the stage and begins his speech by greeting the African leaders and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is moderating the summit, says the forum will herald a new chapter in China-Africa cooperation.
Xi says the establishment of FOCAC in 2000 marked a milestone in China-Africa relations.



A new chapter

China and Africa stand shoulder to shoulder and defend their legitimate rights as the world witnesses unseen changes, Xi says.
Africa-China relations are “at their best” in history, he says, proposing to raise bilateral relations with all African countries that have ties with China to a “strategic level”.


Strategic level

Xi blames Western countries for bringing pain to many countries, and says China and African nations are working together to rectify this “historical injustice”.
Xi says Africa is experiencing a “new awakening” and making “steady progress” towards modernisation.


Africa’s ‘new awakening’

China work with African countries for economic development to start a new wave of development of the Global South, Xi says.
That cooperation will include trade and infrastructure, training and poverty alleviation, he says, adding that each country can have their own way to achieve modernisation.



New modernisation wave

Xi also highlights “green modernisation”, saying China is willing to help Africa in the transition to low-carbon technology.
He says he will work with Africa to promote “eco-friendly modernisation”, “green development” and the low-carbon transition amid China’s growing new energy drive.



‘Green modernisation’

In the next three years, China and Africa will come up with a 10-point action plan for modernisation to kick start the wave of modernisation of the Global South.
China will unilaterally open up its markets to 33 African countries and expand agricultural imports.



10-point plan

Xi says China will push for the Global Security Initiative (GSI), China’s vision to promote peace launched in 2022.
The GSI will be implemented first on the African continent and promote “high-quality development and security interactions” to protect world peace and stability.


Global Security Initiative

As part of the action plan, China will build a zone to deepen trade cooperation and to support small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa, Xi says.
China will set up a digital technology centre in Africa and promote digitalisation throughout the continent.
Xi says China wants to help Africa to create at least 1 million jobs by encouraging investment in the continent.


Digital tech

China will implement 30 infrastructure and interconnectivity projects and 1,000 “small and beautiful projects” in Africa under the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi says.
He adds that China and Africa will set up hospital alliances and medical centres, send 2,000 medical personnel, and implement 20 public health and anti-malaria projects to help the continent, which has long been battered by a public health crisis.



Health and infrastructure

China will set up 30 green energy projects, and hold a forum in Africa about the peaceful use of nuclear energy, Xi says.
China will also help Africa set up a meteorological early-warning platform to help the continent prevent natural disasters.


Green energy

China will provide 1 billion yuan (US$140.5 million) in non-reimbursable military aid to Africa, according to Xi.
China will also help train 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 law enforcement officers from the continent and invite 500 young military officers to visit China, he says.
Xi adds that the two sides will hold joint drills.


Military aid

China will provide Africa with 360 billion yuan in aid over the next three years, including 210 billion yuan in credit funding, Xi says.
China will also encourage Chinese investment of at least 70 billion yuan in Africa.


Aid and investment

Xi says China will not leave any African country behind on the road to modernisation.
He adds that China’s commitment to deepening opening-up and reform following the Communist Party’s third plenum will inject new energy and opportunities for China and Africa’s path to modernisation.
“We will gather the great power of 2.8 billion Chinese and African people to jointly move forward on our path to modernisation, which will also propel that of the Global South,” he says, wrapping up the speech.



Path to modernisation

As head of the last FOCAC host country, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye thanks China for its effective partnership through the establishment of several initiatives and dialogues with Africa in the pursuit of modernisation.
Speaking in French, he says this has been done despite “violence and extremism” in the global environment and complex economic and social factors.
In particular, Faye says, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has been an important contributor to Africa’s infrastructure, especially highways and railways.
He thanks China as the first to support Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic, and says China and Africa have a “traditional relationship in combating colonialism”.


‘Effective partnership’

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani praises FOCAC for effectively promoting and developing the China-Africa partnership, which today is “a leading model for South-South cooperation”.
“The African continent today, given the internal issues it faces and the strong negative repercussions of the destructive environmental, economic and security crises sweeping the world, is in dire need of the People’s Republic of China’s assistance in establishing security and stability, promoting growth and strengthening its voice in international forums,” Ghazouani says.


South-South cooperation

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the forum will support the 10-point action plan that Xi proposed.
He also says the forum’s draft declaration will support “one-China policy”.


Support for action plan

Xi’s speech highlights several areas for future China-Africa cooperation:
Modernisation of the Global South
Xi pledges to help the Global South by aiding Africa’s modernisation. The 10-point proposal to promote modernisation on the continent will see China’s influence go beyond the traditional scope of trade, infrastructure and healthcare.
Trade
Beijing will open its markets to 33 least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa, which will enjoy zero tariffs on all Chinese products.
Finance and Investment
Over the next three years, China is willing to provide funding of 360 billion yuan (US$50.6 billion) to support its 10-point initiative, including 210 billion yuan in loans and 80 billion yuan in aid. It will also encourage Chinese companies to invest at least 70 billion yuan in Africa.
Governance
China will help train African officials to improve governance. Beijing will build 25 African research centres and invite 1,000 African officials and politicians to China to learn about modern governance.
Military aid and training
China will provide 1 billion yuan in military aid to Africa and help train 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 law enforcement officers. It will also invite 500 young military officers to visit China.
Technology, green industry and health
China is planning 30 interconnectivity projects and 1,000 “small and beautiful projects” in Africa under its Belt and Road Initiative.
Beijing will build 20 digitalisation projects to help the continent “embrace the new technology revolution”. It will also cooperate with African countries on laboratories and satellite remote sensing.
Other initiatives include sending 1 billion yuan in emergency food relief, building 30 green energy projects and sending 500 agricultural experts and 2,000 medical practitioners to the continent.
