Héribert-Label Elisée ADJOVI / Special correspondent in Xi'an
The 50 African experts participating in the seminar on ‘Chinese-style modernisation and African development’ attended an inaugural address by Mr Xue Bing on the fundamentals of China's foreign policy in general and China's African policy in particular. This was followed by a series of lectures given by distinguished Chinese professors. The watchword for the implementation of Chinese foreign policy has always been ‘pacifism’. This vision of foreign policy has its roots in China's millennia-old civilisation and is guided by the thinking of President Xi Jinping. It is a path of peaceful development that brings man and nature into harmony. In this regard, Chinese diplomacy understands that no civilisation is superior to others and that, while sharing the earth, it is normal for actors in the international community to have points of divergence. This is why, even when it was one of the world's powerful nations in the past, China never had any colonies. Guided at all times by a spirit of peace and respect for the independence and sovereignty of states, it continues to work towards a multipolar world where all countries enrich each other with their experiences, in order to build a community with a shared future for humanity. This is in line with President Xi Jinping's vision for a new world order characterised by global development, global security and global civilisation. However, it is not possible to establish an international society of peace and security without taking into account the legitimate aspiration of developing countries to choose their own path of development. It is in this spirit that China has always stood alongside the countries of the Global South in general, and African countries in particular.
China-Africa: several stages, same ambition Several stages have marked China-Africa relations since the founding of the People's Republic of China, proclaimed by President Mao Zedong on 1 October 1949. Between 1949 and 1978, China and Africa strengthened their traditional friendship and fought together against colonialism and for the liberation of African nations, with the Bandung Conference – held from 18 to 24 April 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia, bringing together representatives from 29 African and Asian countries for the first time – as a cornerstone. This paved the way for both the ‘Sun of Independence’ in Africa in the early 1960s and the restoration of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of China to the UN, following the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 on 25 October 1971, with 76 votes in favour, 35 against and 17 abstentions – as the sole legitimate representative of China to the UN. Twenty-six African states were among the group of UN member countries that supported China's reinstatement, which consequently regained its seat as a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power. On this subject, Chairman Mao Zedong said, ‘It was our African brothers who brought us to the United Nations.’ Since then, China has regarded this solidarity as a founding act of Sino-African friendship. This period was also marked, in 1962, by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai's 52-day tour of ten African countries. At the same time, despite going through a disastrous decade of cultural revolution (1966-1976), China reached out to African countries. One of the largest international aid projects ever undertaken by China in Africa in the 1970s was the Tanzania-Zambia Railway (TAZARA), a 1,860-kilometre line linking Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. After the restoration of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the People's Republic of Benin on 29 December 1972, Benin received a Chinese donation of one billion CFA francs for the construction of the Stade de l'Amitié, which was completed in November 1982. The period from 1978 to 2000 marked a strategic transition in relations between China and Africa, shifting from a primarily ideological engagement to a more economic and pragmatic approach. Starting in 1978, with the reform policy promoted by President Deng Xiaoping, China adopted an open-door policy focused on economic development. The period from 2001 to 2012 was a phase of strategic expansion, marked by the institutionalisation of the partnership through the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) – created in October 2000, with the first summit of the Forum held in 2006 – and an intensification of economic, diplomatic and technological exchanges. All of this was based on the principles of equality, mutually beneficial results, friendship and good faith, and the development of a Chinese foreign policy document on Africa.
The advent of President Xi Jinping and China-Africa relations in the new era 2013 was a special year, marked by the arrival of President Xi Jinping, who made Africa the destination of his first overseas visit. On this occasion, he laid the foundations for a new era in Sino-African relations, placing them under the fourfold banner of ‘sincerity, pragmatism, friendship and openness’. In September 2018, at the FOCAC in Beijing, the summit was co-chaired by Xi Jinping, who had been re-elected Chinese President in March 2018, and Cyril Ramaphosa, the newly elected South African President. Their collaboration symbolised a strengthening of the Sino-African partnership, with a shared desire to build a more solid China-Africa community of destiny. In November 2021, despite the Covid crisis, the eighth China-Africa Ministerial Meeting was held, with President Xi Jinping participating via video conference, and was marked by a desire to revive relations in a post-crisis world. With China's support, the 15th BRICS Summit, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 22 to 24 August 2023, provided an opportunity to discuss the BRICS-Africa partnership for mutually accelerated growth, sustainable development and inclusive multilateralism. This summit saw Egypt and Ethiopia join the BRICS. On the sidelines of the summit, President Xi Jinping announced three new measures to promote industrialisation, agricultural mechanisation and vocational training in Africa. These measures were reiterated and adopted at the end of the ninth FOCAC Summit, which took place from 4 to 6 September 2024 in Beijing. This summit marked the consolidation of Sino-African friendship, which has evolved from a cooperative relationship to a strategic partnership. In June 2025, the ministerial meeting to implement FOCAC follow-up actions was held in Changsha in China's Hunan province. At the same time, the fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo celebrated the excellence of the Sino-African business climate, against the backdrop of a tariff war unilaterally imposed by Washington.
China-Africa: Figures that speak louder than words To illustrate his presentation, Mr Xue Bing, Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Horn of Africa, listed achievements that have elevated Sino-African cooperation to the status of a model in the Global South and a benchmark for the revision of Western powers' African policy. In the field of trade, in 2025, trade between China and Africa reached a new record of $300 billion, confirming sustained growth. China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years. Following the Changsha meeting in June 2025, China decided to grant 100% customs exemptions on agricultural products from the 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations. This has increased African agricultural exports to China by an average of 600%. At the same time, Chinese direct investment in Africa exceeded $45 billion, with a strong presence in the energy, transport and telecommunications sectors. By 2025, China had financed more than 1,400 infrastructure projects, including roads, railways, ports, airports and solar power plants. In the areas of educational and technological cooperation, more than 50,000 scholarships were awarded to African students to study in China. Sino-African research centres have been set up in several countries to promote local innovation. China has also launched training programmes in artificial intelligence and cybercrime for young Africans. In the areas of agriculture and sustainable development, China supports more than 200 agricultural projects in Africa, focusing on food security and climate resilience. Agricultural cooperation zones have been established in 15 African countries, promoting technology transfer and sustainable practices. In diplomacy and solidarity, 2025 saw more than 30 high-level diplomatic visits between Chinese and African leaders. China has strengthened its support for African countries in international forums, particularly on issues such as climate change, global financial system reform and public health. ‘These figures reflect the ever-deepening cooperation between China and Africa. Relations based on mutual respect, shared development and a common vision of a multipolar future,’ concludes Mr Xue.