Growing in Concert

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the concept of a community of shared future for humanity. In March 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping first put forward the concept at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in Russia. In his speech, he noted that mankind “has increasingly emerged as a community of shared future in which everyone has in himself a little bit of others.”

The connotations of the concept were clearly outlined in the report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) delivered in October 2017 by Xi, who is also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, that is, to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

Promoting the building of such a community is necessary for China to “stand on the right side of history and the side of human progress.” It is in line with the fundamental interests of all peoples in the world, transcends the old zero-sum game mentality in international relations, and adds new connotations to the common values of humankind.

The China-Africa community of shared future, as an essential part of the general concept, plays a key, exemplary role in guiding bilateral cooperation. Based on the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith in China’s Africa policy and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests, the China-Africa community of shared future will build strong momentum for the rise of developing countries as a whole, and for more balanced international relations.

An evolving concept

The concept of China-Africa community of shared future has been enriched and improved amid China-Africa cooperation, and has in turn provided guidance for the steady progress of such cooperation. Its significance and impact go well beyond bilateral or regional spheres, setting an example for building a global community with a shared future.

On 25 March 2013, in a speech delivered at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Xi emphasised that China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future. He reiterated the statement on 4 December 2015 at the opening ceremony of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), while proposing to upgrade China-Africa relations to a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership.

New progress was made in September 2018 at the Beijing Summit of FOCAC, which Xi also attended. As an outcome of the summit, the Beijing Declaration – Towards an Even Stronger China-Africa Community with a Shared Future, was released, setting a new milestone in the history of China-Africa relations.

At the opening ceremony of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC on 29 November 2021, Xi pointed out in a keynote speech that there is an everlasting spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation forged between the two sides, and that China and Africa will continue their efforts on moving towards a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

How to build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future? The white paper titled China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals released on 26 November 2021 provided the answer. It pointed out that the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests embody the historical traditions of China-Africa friendship, and are the overarching guiding principles for China in building up solidarity and cooperation with developing countries, including those in Africa.

It stated that China has formed a distinctive approach to win-win cooperation with Africa, which is a hallmark of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation and can serve as a useful reference for international cooperation with Africa.

According to the white paper, a China-Africa community with a shared future is characterised by joint responsibility, win-win cooperation, happiness for all, cultural prosperity, common security, and harmony between humanity and nature, which are fundamental goals of all actions and have charted the course for China-Africa cooperation in the new era.

The white paper stated that through solidarity and cooperation, the peoples of China and Africa will set an example in increasing the wellbeing of humanity, creating a new type of international relations, and building a global community with a shared future.

A powerful booster

The concept of China-Africa community with a shared future has guided China and Africa to continue to expand the areas of cooperation, injecting new impetus into upgrading China-Africa relations. Practical cooperation between the two sides is showing unprecedented vitality.

Statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, in 2022, the volume of China-Africa trade exceeded $270 billion, with China’s imports from Africa once again growing faster than its exports to Africa. The first four joint centres for modern agrotechnology exchange, demonstration and training have been established in Hainan, Jiangsu, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces. The headquarters of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention inaugurated in January has further extended the list of Chinese-built landmark projects in Africa. Chinese enterprises have added or upgraded more than 10,000 km of railways and 100,000 km of roads for Africa. They have built nearly 1,000 bridges and 100 ports as well as many hospitals and schools on the continent, creating a total of over 4.5 million jobs.

Cultural and people-to-people exchanges are also deepening. Pro­gra­mmes such as installation of satellite TV facilities in African villages, delivery of films and TV shows to suburbs and villages, celebration of national cultural years, cooperation between universities, and establishment of Confucius Institutes and the Luban Workshops have further cemented the bonds between the Chinese and African peoples.

The African Youth Survey 2022 released by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation of South Africa revealed that 77 percent of the respondents consider China to be the most influential non-African country on the continent, and 76 percent of the respondents consider China’s influence to be positive.

Liu Yuxi, special representative of the Chinese government on African affairs, said that inheriting and promoting China-Africa friendship has become a glorious tradition and distinctive underpinning of Chinese diplomacy. According to him, China will further promote China-Africa cooperation, continue to expand trade with Africa, promote high-quality development of investment and financing cooperation, expand new dynamics in areas such as health, green development and digital economy, and provide more support for Africa’s economic and social development.

China and Africa have joined hands through thick and thin, and the fundamental interests of both Chinese and African peoples have always been supreme in the conduct of the relations. This partnership has set an example for building a community with a shared future worldwide.

Wang Heng, deputy director and professor at the Institute of African Studies (College of African Area and Country Studies), Zhejiang Normal University.

Zhou Xingcan, a postgraduate at the Institute of African Studies (College of African Area and Country Studies), Zhejiang Normal University.