As Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party-led government of China host the 2024 Forum on Africa-China Cooperation (FOCAC) from September 4th to 6th, African nations eagerly anticipated the event.
The run-up to the summit has seen several African leaders engaging in pre-summit activities, "What is Africa's Strategy Towards China? Is there a Strategy?" The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat and some African presidents have already met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and the photos depict high-powered delegations, mostly comprising politicians and ministers accompanying their presidents including meetings with Chinese government officials and visits to various industries and companies in China, all of which have been highlighted on social media platforms and many media outlets across the continent and beyond. Have our leaders been reduced to “commissioners” (commission seekers and takers), maybe that’s what they go to such summits to do.
One might wonder why entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators, producers, business people, and youth are not represented on these trips.
The image of the Zimbabwe delegation meeting with the Chinese leader and his team has prompted discussions on social media, with users emphasizing the need for more comprehensive preparations and serious engagement from all participating delegations. It raises questions about whether our leaders are genuinely committed to such platforms, beyond being paraded embarrassingly.
The Forum on Africa-China Cooperation (FOCAC) was established by the Chinese government in 2000 to serve as a vital platform for fostering political, economic, and cultural ties between China and Africa. This partnership builds on a long history of interaction, dating back to the tenth century B.C. Some experts even point to the Bandung Conference of 1955 as a pivotal moment in the development of diplomatic and economic relations between China and Africa. In 1999, China introduced its 'Going Out' initiative, which encouraged Chinese enterprises to expand their operations beyond domestic borders. This resulted in a significant increase in Chinese involvement in Africa, leading to the creation of job opportunities for Chinese workers involved in various infrastructure projects on the continent. This strategic approach underscored China's expanding economic influence on a global scale. All of these instances serve as compelling evidence of China's strong commitment and strategy to engaging with Africa.
A critical examination of Africa's engagement with China reveals a lack of a comprehensive and consistent long-term strategy in dealing with China. While China has a clearly defined pathway for engaging with African countries, there seems to be a lack of coordination and consensus among African Union (AU) member states in their approach to China. There is no strategy, whether long-term or short-term, but just vibes and ideological posturing. Perhaps, this absence of a unified strategy may be attributed to geopolitical dynamics, Western influences, and lingering colonial legacies?
The individual experiences of African countries in their engagements with China also point to the absence of a cohesive strategy. This lack of a unified approach may leave Africa vulnerable to the challenges posed by China's growing power, potentially resulting in ad-hoc policies and measures being adopted as issues arise.
Terms such as "win-win," "mutual benefit," and "all-weather friend" have been used to describe the relationship between Africa and China, but without a clear overarching strategy, these descriptions may only serve as narratives and rent-seeking rather than strategic frameworks.
The lack of unity among African countries, particularly within the AU, further undermines the development of a comprehensive and consistent long-term strategy for engaging with China. Consequently, the absence of a unified strategy hampers the articulation and implementation of effective policies in relation to China.
Going forward, it is essential for Africa to develop a more nuanced approach in its engagement with China. Therefore, there is a pressing need for a nuanced, consistent, and forward-looking long-term strategy. The African Union's priority should be to formulate and implement a strategy with clear guiding principles to advance the continent's objectives.
In order to accomplish this, regional economic communities such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should devise regional frameworks that can be amalgamated into a unified African strategy towards China. This endeavor, though may present challenges due to the diverse interests of each region and the historical colonial influences that shape individual countries' relationships with China, but it can be a good starting point to come up with collective strategy on China.
Blessing Vava is a researcher on Africa China relations.
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