(Editor’s Note: This article reflects the views of the author, Héribert-Label Elisée ADJOVI, and not necessarily those of CGTN.)
The 2025 Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be held from August 31 to September 1 in Tianjin, northern China. The “Shanghai Spirit” is a concept of international relations jointly promoted by SCO member states. It advocates “mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for the diversity of civilizations, and pursuit of common development.”
In an interview with CGTN Français, Héribert-Label Elisée ADJOVI, President of the Xi’an Group for Sino-African Cooperation and Development, interpreted the Shanghai Spirit through the lens of security cooperation, economic integration, green development, and global governance. He explored how African countries could draw inspiration from the SCO’s experience to promote regional development and jointly build a community of shared future for humanity. According to him, the SCO offers a model based on non-interference, sovereignty, and pragmatic cooperation. This paradigm is increasingly attracting countries from the Global South seeking balanced partnerships that respect national priorities. A collaboration between Africa and the SCO would be beneficial for a more inclusive global governance system.
The Tianjin Summit, scheduled for autumn 2025, marks a new phase of sustainable development for the SCO, with a particular focus on renewable energy, ecological restoration, and transboundary water management. It presents an opportunity to learn from the SCO’s ecological initiatives and identify concrete pathways to strengthen Sino-African cooperation in this domain.
In the field of renewable energy, the SCO has fostered cooperation among member states in solar, wind, and hydropower, supported by technology transfers and joint financing. Africa could integrate these models into national energy transition plans to develop regional solar parks and smart grids.
Regarding ecological restoration, the SCO has launched cross-border reforestation and anti-desertification programs, such as the China–Kazakhstan project in the arid Xinjiang region. Africa could reinforce its “Great Green Wall” initiative by creating regional ecological corridors.
Given the six modernization proposals and ten strategic partnership actions between China and the 53 African countries with diplomatic ties, it would be wise to institutionalize cooperation in green economy. This could take the form of a Sino-African Forum for Transnational Ecology, aligned with the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), with working groups on renewable energy, biodiversity, conservation, and natural resource management.
The principle of sovereignty and non-interference is also a key factor in regional stability and integration. The SCO emphasizes respect for national sovereignty while promoting regional cooperation. Inspired by this model, Africa could build continental solidarity based on trust, avoiding interference while encouraging collective action.
Strengthening African solidarity also involves sharing international responsibilities and institutionalizing African multilateralism. Regarding the former, Africa could leverage platforms such as FOCAC and the United Nations to advocate for a more equitable distribution of responsibilities in global governance.
As for institutionalizing African multilateralism, the SCO offers an inspiring model. It operates through regular summits, thematic working groups, and exchange platforms. The African Union could similarly enhance its regional consultation mechanisms by establishing permanent thematic forums (security, economy, cultural diplomacy) with clear mandates and measurable outcomes.
Concrete Measures of the SCO: A Mirror for African Regional Integration
To strengthen regional integration and reduce dependence on Western trade routes, the SCO has developed several economic corridors and integrated customs platforms. These include multimodal corridors (China–Kazakhstan–Russia), logistics hubs, free zones, and single-window customs systems aimed at harmonizing procedures and facilitating goods transit. Inspired by this model, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could accelerate the implementation of regional single-window systems interconnected via digital platforms to reduce transit time and costs.
To catalyze a new dynamic of economic integration, industrial sovereignty, and regional connectivity, the SCO promotes cross-border industrial zones. These regional clusters support shared production capacity, technology transfer, and territorial specialization, backed by regional development banks for targeted infrastructure financing. Africa could experiment with Regional Special Economic Zones (RSEZs) aligned with intra-African value chains, supported by African development banks.
Another complementary solution to boost regional economic integration in Africa is the strategic alignment of Sino-African projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with AfCFTA. African corridors (LAPSSET, Abidjan–Lagos, Trans-Maghreb) should be integrated into AfCFTA priorities. For greater efficiency, Africa would benefit from establishing AfCFTA–BRI coordination committees to harmonize logistics and industrial investments.
In terms of regional value chain structuring, the SCO approach focuses on developing regional chains in agro-industry, construction materials, and technology. Africa could identify strategic industrial nodes (e.g., agricultural processing in the Sahel, textiles in East Africa) and deploy integrated transformation zones with infrastructure, training, and access to regional markets.
Regarding integrated customs platforms, the SCO emphasizes digital systems for trade flow traceability. Africa could develop interconnected digital systems for product traceability, origin certification, and trade facilitation.
The Shanghai Spirit: An Alternative to Western Models
The Shanghai Spirit is built on five founding principles: mutual trust, shared benefits, equality among states, respect for cultural diversity, and common development. Unlike Western models often perceived as hierarchical or interventionist, the SCO offers an approach based on non-interference, sovereignty, and pragmatic cooperation. This paradigm increasingly appeals to countries of the Global South seeking balanced partnerships that respect national priorities. A collaboration between Africa and the SCO would support a more inclusive global governance framework.
Such collaboration could help promote alternative models by elevating the Shanghai Spirit as a counterpoint to Western norms—emphasizing respect for national trajectories, cooperation without political conditionality, and diversity in development models.
(Photo: VCG)