Withprofoundchangestakingplaceintheinternationalsituation,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingpaidstatevisitstotheUnitedArabEmirates(UAE),Senegal,RwandaandSouthAfrica,attendedthe10thBRICSSummitinJohannesburg,andvisitedMauritiusduringastopoverfromJuly19to28.
Ontheeveofthe2018BRICSSummitandaheadoftheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC)BeijingSummitinSeptember,Xi鈥檚visittothefivenations,alsothefirstoverseastripsincehisreelectionaspresidentinMarch,markedtheopeningofanewchapterforrelationsbetweenChinaandotherdevelopingcountries.
ThetripcementedChina鈥檚roleanditsdeterminationtosafeguardinternationaleconomicandpoliticalsecurityagainstthebackdropofmountinganti-globalizationandprotectionism,aswellasdeepeningtieswithAfricancountries,saidHeRui,anassistantresearcherwiththeChinaInstituteofInternationalStudies(CIIS).
BeltandRoadcooperation
Xi鈥檚visittotheUAEwasthefirstbyaChinesepresidentin29years.Withauniquegeographicposition,theUAEisregardedasanaturalpartnerofChinaundertheBeltandRoadcooperationframeworktopushforconcertedeffortstoboostcommondevelopment.
TheUAEisthefirstGulfstatetoforgeastrategicpartnershipwithChina.Inrecentyears,bilateralcooperationhaswitnessedrapid,comprehensive,results-orienteddevelopment.ChinahasbeentheUAE鈥檚largesttradingpartnerforseveralyears,whiletheUAEisnowChina鈥檚secondlargesttradingpartnerandtheprimarydestinationofitsexportsinWestAsiaandNorthAfrica.Thevolumeofbilateraltradestoodat$41billionin2017.
OneofthefirstcountriestoembracetheChina-proposedBeltandRoadInitiative,theUAEisalsoafoundingmemberoftheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank.TheSilkRoadFund,establishedin2014,hasbeenfinancinginfrastructureprojectsinDubai,includingtheHassyanCleanCoalProject.The$3.3-billionplantwillprovide20percentofDubai鈥檚futureenergymixonceputinoperation,withatargetsetforcompletionbefore2020.Thestation,notableasthefirstgreenenergypartnershipintheMiddleEast,willaddtothegrowingnumberofsuccessfulprojectsmadepossiblebytheBeltandRoadInitiative.
InadeclarationjointlyissuedbyChinaandtheUAEduringXi鈥檚visit,thetwonationsagreedtoupgradetheirbilateralrelationstoacomprehensivestrategicpartnershipandstrengthencooperationundertheframeworkoftheBeltandRoadInitiative.Inthedocument,thetwonationsexpressedtheirwillingnesstoestablishasustainabletradeandinvestmentpartnershiptoachievetheircommoninterests.Thetwosidespledgedtoincreasetradeandreinforcetheircomplementaryadvantages,betterfacilitateinvestment,jointlypromotetheconstructionofafreetradezone,andturntheircapacitycooperationdemonstrationzoneintoanexampleofjointprojectsundertheframeworkoftheBeltandRoadInitiative.ThetwosidesalsopledgedtoholdconferencesandsymposiumsthemedonjointlybuildingtheBeltandRoadInitiative.
TheChina-proposedBeltandRoadInitiative,withtheaimofpromotingcommondevelopment,isalsopopularamongcountriesinAfrica.SenegalisthefirstWestAfricancountrytosignaBeltandRoadcooperationdocumentwithChina.ChinaisnowSenegal鈥檚secondlargesttradingpartnerandthelargestsourceoffinancing,whileChina-fundedprojectssuchastheFoundiougneBridgeandtheThies-ToubaHighwayaresettoboostthecountry鈥檚economicgrowth.AplannedChina-assistedruralwatersupplyprojectinSenegalincluding251wellsand1,800kmofpipelineshasthepotentialtobenefitoneseventhofitspopulation.
InasignedarticleintheSenegalesenewspaperLeSoleilbeforesettingfootonSenegalesesoil,XicalledforfurtherdeepeningpracticalcooperationbetweenChinaandSenegalundertheframeworkoftheBeltandRoadInitiative.鈥淟everagingtheBeltandRoadInitiativeandtheplatformofFOCAC,ChinawillworkwithSenegaltotapourrespectivestrengthsinthetradeandprocessingofagriculturalandaquaticproducts,infrastructure,productioncapacity,industrialparksandhumanresourcesdevelopment,allofwhichareimportantforSenegal鈥檚capabilitytoachievehome-growndevelopment,鈥漷hearticlesaid.
WhenmeetingXi,SenegalesePresidentMackySallspokehighlyoftheBeltandRoadInitiative,sayinghiscountrystandsreadytovigorouslyparticipateinconnectivityconstruction,enhancecooperationinareassuchasinfrastructureconstruction,waterconservation,industrialization,agriculturalproductprocessing,tourism,cultureandsports.
RwandawasthesecondAfricannationtosignaBeltandRoadagreementwithChina.Two-waytradebetweenChinaandRwandareached$157millionin2017,anincreaseof10.56percentyearonyear.AprojectfundedbyChinatodrill200wellswillhelpeasewatershortagesforover110,000people,whiletheconstructionof70percentofRwanda鈥檚nationalhighwayshasbeenundertakenbyaChinesecompany.
ChinawelcomestheparticipationofAfricannationsininternationalcooperation,andencouragesmorecountriesonthecontinenttocapitalizeontheresourcesandfundsavailablethroughtheBeltandRoadInitiative,soastoconductpragmaticcooperationandmaintainsustainabledevelopment,LiuNaiya,aseniorresearcherwiththeInstituteofWest-AsianandAfricanStudiesundertheChineseAcademyofSocialSciences,toldBeijingReview.HebelievesthattheChina-proposedinitiativecanhelptheAfricancontinentdevelopataquickerpace.
Communitywithasharedfuture
ItisbelievedthatXi鈥檚five-nationtripwillcontributetothebuildingofacommunitywithasharedfutureforChina,Africaandallofmankind,saidLiu.
HisvisittoAfricareaffirmsChina鈥檚policyofsincerity,tangibleresults,affinityandgoodfaithwithregardtocountriesonthecontinent,aswellasreaffirmingtheviewthatrighteousnessandbenefitshouldserveasguidingprinciplestostrengthenChina-Africaexchanges,developmultilateralrelationshipsandexpandpragmaticcooperationacrossvariousfields,Liuadded.
Chinahasalwaysregardeddevelopingcountriesasthecornerstoneofitsdiplomacy,withAfricaitspriority.ChinaandAfricahaveadeep-rootedfriendshipandasharedpursuitfordevelopmentandprosperity,withChinatheworld鈥檚largestdevelopingcountryandAfricahometothelargestnumberofdevelopingcountries.StrengtheningunityandcooperationwithnationsinAfricaisanimportantbasisofChina鈥檚foreignpolicyandalong-termstrategyfortheChineseGovernment,saidXiwhilemeetingwithRwandanPresidentPaulKagame.
ThetwopresidentsagreedtofurtherpromotebilateralcooperationintheinterestsoftheChinese,RwandanandAfricanpeople.ChinahasparticipatedintheconstructionofinfrastructureinEastAfrica,especiallyinkeyprojectssuchasstandardgaugerailways,highwaysandpowerplants,allofwhichhavebenefitedRwanda.
InanarticlepublishedonCRIOnline,WangZhan,aresearcheronforeignstudieswithWuhanUniversity,pointedoutthatall10majorChina-AfricacooperationplanslaunchedattheFOCACJohannesburgSummitin2015haveeffectivelysupportedAfricanindustrialandagriculturaldevelopmentandacceleratedAfrica鈥檚industrialization.CapacitycooperationhasbeenaboonfortheeconomicdevelopmentofmanyAfricancountries,andtheconstructioninAfricaofalmost100industrialparksaswellastheestablishmentoffreetradezoneshasfacilitatedwin-wincooperationbetweenChinaandthecontinent.ThevolumeoftradebetweenChinaandAfricaisexpectedtoreach$400billionby2020witheffortsfrombothsides.
InRwanda,XiandKagameagreedtostrengthenthealignmentofthetwocountries鈥檇evelopmentstrategies,givefullplaytocomplementaryadvantages,andcarryoutpragmaticcooperationinmoreareasandatdeeperlevels.Theyalsoagreedtopromotepeople-to-peopleexchanges,deepenlawenforcementandsecuritycooperation,maintainclosecoordinationoninternationalandregionalissues,andstrengthencollaborationonissuesofglobalsignificance.AstherotatingchairpersonoftheAfricanUnion(AU),KagamealsoexpectedChinatoplayanimportantroleinsupportingAUreformsandpromotingAfrica鈥檚development.
VisitorstakeaselfieduringtheBeautifulRwandaBeautifulChinaphotoexhibitioninKigali,Rwanda,onJuly6DUANWEIThisyearmarksthe20thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofdiplomatictiesbetweenChinaandSouthAfrica,whichhavealreadyinthisshorttimegrownintoacomprehensivestrategicpartnership.Ontheeconomicfront,ChinahasbeenSouthAfrica鈥檚largesttradingpartnerfornineconsecutiveyears,whileSouthAfricaisChina鈥檚largesttradingpartnerinAfrica.Theirbilateraltradeamountedtoover$39billionin2017,morethan26timesitsvaluebackin1998.SouthAfricaisalsoChina鈥檚largestinvestmentdestinationinAfrica;nearly100majorChineseenterpriseshavestartedbusinessoperationsinSouthAfricawithdirectinvestmentof$15billionoverthepastyears,with2017alonewitnessinginvestmentof$1.83billionfromChina.
DuringtalksbetweenXiandSouthAfricanPresidentCyrilRamaphosa,bothleadersagreedtostrengthenhigh-levelexchanges,deepenpoliticaltrust,aligndevelopmentstrategies,promotepracticalcooperationandincreasepeople-to-peopleexchanges,thusenablingthepeoplesofthetwocountriestoenjoymorebenefits.
XistressedthatChinaandSouthAfricashouldincreasecoordinationwithinmultilateralframeworksincludingthoseoftheUN,theG20andBRICS,jointlysafeguardmultilateralism,opposeunilateralismandprotectionism,andpromoteamorejustandequitableinternationalorder.
LiusaidthatXi鈥檚visithasalsohelpedtolaythegroundworkfortheFOCACBeijingSummitinSeptember.Accordingtohim,bybringingtogethertheBeltandRoadInitiative,theUN2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment,theAUAgenda2063andthenationaldevelopmentplansofvariousAfricannations,thesummitwillbreaknewgroundforChina-Africacooperation.
HeoftheCIISsaidthatthesynergyoftheBeltandRoadInitiativeandFOCACcanpushChina-Africacooperationtonewheights,andbothplatformscomplementeachotherwell.TheexistingFOCACmechanismandtheintegrityoftheFOCACframeworkwillserveasausefulreferenceforfuturecooperationwithinthestructuresoftheBeltandRoadInitiative.Inthemeantime,inter-andtrans-regionalcooperationundertheBeltandRoadInitiativewillbenefitthebilateralandmultilateraltiesofdevelopingcountries.
SincetheestablishmentofFOCACin2000,China-Africatradehasmaintainedsteadygrowth,risingfrom$765millionin1978tomorethan$170billionin2017,anincreaseofmorethan200times.
CopyeditedbyLaurenceCoultonCommentstoTheconstructionsiteoftheHassyanCleanCoalPowerPlant,fundedbytheSilkRoadFund,inDubaionJune19XINHUA