Continental transformer

As the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations approaches, it is fitting to reflect on one of the most transformative partnerships in modern development history: the cooperation between China and Africa. This relationship, forged in the crucible of shared struggles against colonialism and imperialism, has evolved into a comprehensive partnership that continues to reshape the Global South's development trajectory.

This partnership began when China, despite its own economic limitations, extended a helping hand to Africa. The construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway in the 1970s stands as an early symbol of this solidarity — a 1,860-kilometer lifeline that connects landlocked Zambia to the sea while demonstrating China's commitment to African development even at great cost to itself.

China's South-South cooperation with Africa exhibits several unique characteristics that distinguish it from traditional North-South aid models. The first is the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, allowing African nations to chart their own development paths. The second is the emphasis on infrastructure development, recognizing that without adequate infrastructure, sustainable development remains elusive. The third is the focus on knowledge transfer and capacity building, ensuring that African partners can eventually manage and maintain development projects independently.

The Belt and Road Initiative exemplifies these characteristics.Unlike conditional aid packages, Belt and Road projects are designed to create long-term economic partnerships that benefit all parties involved. The Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway in Ethiopia and numerous port developments across the continent demonstrate how infrastructure investment can catalyze broader economic transformation.

Additionally, the structures and parameters of cooperation are being strengthened and improved.Chinese companies are increasingly adopting higher environmental and social standards, investing in local workforce development and partnering with African businesses.

Africa should systemically learn from China's seamless planning, something that ensures successful programs. All of China's successes today are a result of extensive planning for the utmost efficiency. The transformation of Chinese cities, the development of high-speed rail networks and the rapid advancement in renewable energy technologies all stem from long-term strategic thinking combined with disciplined execution.

African partners can benefit enormously from adopting local approaches inspired by Chinese lessons to development planning. This means moving beyond short-term project cycles to embrace comprehensive, multi-decade development strategies that account for demographic changes, technological evolution and climate adaptation needs.

Looking ahead, here are three additional recommendations for enhanced Africa-China cooperation.

First, Africa and China can establish more technology transfer centers and innovation hubs based on specific African needs and national conditions, focusing on areas where Africa has potential such as renewable energy, agricultural technology and mobile banking innovations. These hubs should facilitate not just the transfer of existing technologies, but collaborative research and development that addresses uniquely African challenges.

The success of e-payment systems such as M-Pesa in Kenya demonstrates Africa's capacity for technological innovation. China's expertise in digital payments, e-commerce platforms and smart city technologies can be combined with African innovation to create solutions that leapfrog traditional development stages.

Second, given the urgent challenges of climate change, Africa-China cooperation should enhance climate resilience and green development initiatives. China's leading position in renewable energy manufacturing and its experience in reforestation and desert control can be invaluable for African countries facing desertification and extreme weather events.

Furthermore, joint programs should focus on developing climate-adapted infrastructure, promoting sustainable agriculture practices and building renewable energy capacity. The Great Green Wall Initiative in the Sahel and Sahara regions represents the kind of ambitious, long-term thinking that could benefit from Chinese technical expertise and financial support.

Third, as the UN's 80th anniversary approaches, Africa-China cooperation should be contextualized within broader global governance reforms. The current international system, designed in 1945, can no longer fully represent the interests and perspectives of the Global South. China's support for African representation in international institutions reflects a commitment to more equitable global governance.

The newly-proposed Global Governance Initiative offers an effective framework for addressing the global governance deficit that many Global South countries, especially African nations face. At its core, the Global Governance Initiative is built on five fundamental principles: upholding sovereign equality, adhering to international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, promoting people-centered development and emphasizing action-oriented approaches. These principles are logically interconnected and mutually reinforcing, forming a comprehensive framework for global governance. This provides important guidance for African countries to jointly reform the global governance system.

In summary, the Africa-China partnership represents more than economic cooperation; it embodies a vision of South-South solidarity that challenges Western development paradigms. As this partnership matures, it will continue evolving to address 21st-century challenges while maintaining its core principles of mutual respect, mutual benefit and shared development.

Success in this endeavor requires honest assessment of shortcomings, continuous adaptation to changing circumstances and unwavering commitment to the shared goal of African development and modernization. The next phase of Africa-China cooperation should be characterized by even greater emphasis on sustainability — ensuring that this historic partnership continues to serve as a model for South-South cooperation in the decades to come.

Through strategic planning adoption, technology transfer and climate resilience building, the Africa-China partnership can continue to transform Africa and provide an alternative to the Western paradigm of international cooperation.

The author is managing editor of Africa News 24 in Lesotho. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.