Flags, greetings, and honour guards were waved on September 4th as leaders of over 50 African nations gathered in Tiananmen Square for a forum discussing the “Shared Future for China and Africa” or the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Welcoming them with the usual theatrics, Xi Jinping hosted a banquet for the leaders on the first day of the summit, where greetings and lobbying policies were exchanged, after which they engaged in bilateral talks for the remainder of two days. The 9th edition of the three-day forum marked the disengagement of the Global North from Africa while it also highlighted China’s aggressive trade policies that make Africa the ground for competitive welfarism from both blocs. The summit also revealed a ‘Beijing Action Plan’ for 2025-27 that revolves around debt relief as many African nations, such as Djibouti and Ethiopia, are in a debt crisis with Chinese banks. A six-point proposition to work on China-Africa joint efforts to advance modernisation was also articulated. Thirty clean energy projects, along with requirements for other infrastructure projects, such as the Rift Valley Railway, were points of discussion.
2024 has not been the best year for Beijing as it has faced the challenges of slowing economic growth and a housing crisis. To deal with its slow quarterly growth, Xi Jinping has been seeking new permanent buyers for goods, and in this case, Africa seems to be the perfect consumer. What we also need to realise is that the relationship of African nations with the West and China still mirrors a colonial legacy that seems like a shadow. So, every trade deal, every MoU, and every infrastructure project becomes a give-and-take relationship that highlights the issues of big brother syndrome in both. In contrast, African nations are on the path to discovering their decolonial identity.
Unlike the previous forum in 2021, where substantial trade commitments were made, during this summit, China focused more on “small and beautiful projects”, charting out a new and less committed trade policy for the continent. Due to the tight scrutiny of its banks and lending strategies, Xi Jinping is following a more careful approach to aid promises, expecting more in return from his counterparts, hence weaponising Chinese trade even further. In a post-pandemic world, China has struggled to combat internal stumbling blocks, and tighter scrutiny and government regulation have halted businesses from exploring Chinese markets. The FOCAC summit had these narratives at play, and it hoped to bring the dependent nations closer to Beijing than ever before. Accusations of the creation of ‘debt traps’ that were hurled before the summit by media from certain countries were denied, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China continued to describe its win-win narrative or what it called a “mutually beneficial” relationship with the continent of Africa (barring Eswatini, which maintains ties with Taiwan). China has also taken advantage of the fact that the West has reduced its investment in green projects for many African nations. Using this, many Chinese lenders have started investing in greener initiatives, thereby whitewashing their dubious financing in arms for West African militias, mines and other projects that overlook human rights violations. The only positive highlight of such initiatives is the tone of the Chinese leaders with their counterparts. Unlike Western leaders such as Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump, they do not go out with a derogatory tone and insult the leaders of emerging nations from the continent. The existence of predatory lending practices from both global power blocs reveals deeper issues of neocolonialism, figureheads, and non-state actors in Africa, underscoring the persistence of exploitative dynamics and external control over the continent’s political and economic sovereignty.
Moreover, this summit marked a new beginning in China’s relations with several nations from the continent, and it highlights China’s influence over the Global South as it has worked in several arenas, including criticising Israel’s invasion of Gaza and bringing Palestinian factions together. Much like other Africa+1 summits, FOCAC faces the issue of transparency and sustainability when implementing China’s commitments. Carrying the emotions from this summit, there is a realisation in Africa that the West and China cannot develop Africa. Several African nations have started using their autonomy as an advantage, knowing that relationships with global actors must be carefully managed.
Comments