Achievement and potential

As the world grapples with deep deficits in global development, security and governance, the importance of solidarity, collaboration and shared growth among the Global South is becoming ever more evident.

China-Africa cooperation is not only a key part of this trend but also a leading example. Since the start of the century, the rapid growth and rising influence of China-Africa cooperation have helped unlock the potential of the Global South and offered an important reference for cooperation among developing countries.

In 2000, trade between China and Africa had only just passed $10 billion. The launch of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in the same year has fueled their engagement ever since.

In 2024, trade between China and Africa soared to $295.6 billion, about 27 times higher than in 2000, and China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years. By the end of 2022, China's cumulative direct investment in Africa had reached $47 billion. This deepening economic relationship has spurred Africa's export growth, attracted investment, diversified economies and driven industrialization across the continent.

In the early 2000s, Africa was just emerging from its "lost decade "with sluggish growth, while China was undergoing structural transformation. It is estimated that at that time, Africa's GDP stood at about $681.8 billion and China's at around $1.2 trillion. Together, China and Africa accounted for only about 5.6 percent of the world economy, while the United States took up around 30 percent.

In 2024, Africa's GDP rose to $2.85 trillion and China's to $18.8 trillion, bringing their combined global share close to 20 percent. Cooperation in fields such as coffee processing, critical minerals and energy has played an important role in elevating Africa's economic weight and global influence.

China-Africa cooperation has served as a model for the wider Global South, with significant progress in infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and human resources.

China is now Africa's largest bilateral source of infrastructure financing, providing one-fifth of all funding for regional connectivity. This support not only helps close Africa's financing gap but also ensures timely delivery and early benefits from many projects, backed by Chinese engineering, efficiency and quality.

China has also become a key player in Africa's electricity supply. Power projects supported by China have added 23 gigawatts of capacity in at least 27 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for about 9 percent of Africa's total installed power generation capacity. For a continent where nearly half the population still lives without electricity, this contribution is transformative.

China has built or upgraded about 150,000 kilometers of backbone telecommunications networks and constructed about 80 percent of Africa's 3G and around 70 percent of its 4G infrastructure, enabling internet access for about 700 million people.

Some argue that the FOCAC owes its success to China's unique political and economic system, suggesting it cannot be replicated elsewhere. Rooted in contrasts between Chinese and the Western approaches in Africa, this view often morphs into criticism of China and a convenient excuse for the failures of Western engagement with Africa. What such narratives overlook is the real drivers behind the success of the FOCAC: a strong will, clear goals and pragmatic approaches.

The prerequisite for this success is a strong will to cooperate. China and Africa both occupy key positions in each other's external strategies. China looks to Africa to help achieve its development and security goals, while Africa turns to China to diversify partnerships, drive economic growth and advance its international agendas.

Against a backdrop of unprecedented changes and global transformation in today's world, both sides share a growing desire to deepen cooperation. Based on these common interests, China-Africa relations have been elevated to an all-weather community with a shared future for the new era, with the bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China elevated to the level of strategic relations.

The foundation of this success lies in clear principles and goals. Drawing on its own experience and international engagement, China has a deep understanding of what drives development. As Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed at the virtual BRICS Summit on Sept 8, "BRICS countries should promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, place development at the heart of the international agenda, and ensure that Global South countries participate in international cooperation as equals and share in the fruits of development." The achievements of the FOCAC reflect this development-oriented, results-driven philosophy, which runs through every stage of policymaking, planning and project delivery.

Chinese financing in Africa mainly supports sectors with positive socioeconomic impact and catalytic potential, such as infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and mining. At the same time, the triennial the FOCAC prioritizes concrete outcomes and consistent delivery of commitments. This reliability is a key reason why China-Africa cooperation has earned strong support across the continent.

Another key to the success of China-Africa cooperation is pragmatism, shaped by the strong will and clear goals shared by both sides. The 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit, for instance, responded directly to African concerns over trade imbalances, industrial value-addition, job creation and infrastructure financing with concrete measures.

This pragmatism is equally evident in efficient and high-quality project delivery. Cooperation is driven by concrete projects under a "funding follows projects" model, rather than the Western practice of "projects follow budgets". This approach ensures implementation, minimizes costs and helps curb corruption.

Today's turbulent world presents both challenges and opportunities for China-Africa cooperation. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, driven by artificial intelligence and the energy transition, powered by critical minerals, is a watershed moment for Africa to some extent. Whether African countries can leapfrog into a new phase of development or risk deeper marginalization will depend on the choices made now.

China-Africa cooperation needs to align with these global shifts and focus on expanding in emerging sectors and leveraging resource endowments. This requires not only project-level deals but also shared strategic vision and long-term planning.

China-Africa cooperation is showing both innovation and resilience in the face of these opportunities and challenges. At the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit, China pledged 360 billion yuan ($50.5 billion) in financing over the next three years, in the form of aid, loans and investment. This comprehensive package reflects a careful balance between China's own economic realities and the demands of cooperation. As both a firm commitment and a bold experiment, the support must be closely aligned with the common priorities of Africa and China through stronger coordination between the two sides, in order to unlock deeper cooperation in connectivity, industrialization, supply chains, investment and job creation.

China-Africa cooperation not only provides practical experience for China's global initiatives, but also serves as a model in advancing them. The Global Governance Initiative, proposed by President Xi at the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin, reflects China's vision as well as the aspirations of Africa and the wider Global South. From the Belt and Road Initiative to the Global Governance Initiative, China-Africa cooperation is poised to play an even stronger demonstrative role.

Together, China and Africa are advancing high-quality Belt and Road demonstration zones. The "small and beautiful" projects first pioneered in Africa are emerging as a new brand of South-South cooperation. A demonstration zone for the Global Security Initiative will be built in Africa, while the way that China and Africa bridge geography and culture embodies the spirit of the Global Civilization Initiative. Looking ahead, China-Africa cooperation has the potential to achieve even more and exert even greater influence.

The author is the deputy director at the Center for West Asian and African Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. 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.