China and Africa share strong, fraternal and comprehensive relations and cooperation. The constructive China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 on June 17 reaffirmed these as well as the need to advance their friendship in a pragmatic, efficient and results-oriented manner. This next phase is set against the backdrop of the pandemic, rapidly evolving political and economic landscapes, shifting global balances of power, great uncertainty and new challenges on multiple fronts, necessitating closer strategic coordination at both bilateral and multilateral levels.

Africa is also in the process of realizing its dream by implementing its strategic vision of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which encapsulates the continent’s growth and development path toward an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens.

This goal is closely linked to eliminating poverty, one of the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Extreme poverty is declining globally except in Africa, which is likely to miss this primary goal of the Agenda by a huge margin. COVID-19 has not only put great pressure on African countries’ health systems but also slowed the commendable political, economic and social progress Africa has made over the past decades.

Africa now faces disrupted revenues, reduced trade, less foreign investment and the daunting task of creating jobs for millions of young people just as the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area — the strategic framework established to achieve inclusive and sustainable development — has slowed and the tourism industry struggles, not to mention the growing challenges of climate change.

It is critical that Africa be able to make its own decisions and follow its own development path.

With major concerns spanning post-pandemic economic recovery and pressing issues including debt, industrialization, trade and investment, Africa welcomed President Xi Jinping’s statement during the China-Africa Summit that China took Africa’s debt concerns seriously.

These challenges come at a time when Africa cannot depend on the West and many other international partners for support. The West is politically divided, facing uncertainties and domestic issues including weak leadership and experiencing distracting matters like the US election and the Brexit saga. China is also facing “bullying tactics” and provocations from the United States and others in trade, technology, border and sovereignty issues.

Against the backdrop of growing cooperation and exchanges, Africa developed deep respect and admiration for China’s development experience. Africa has witnessed the progress China has made over the past 70 years based on its “people first” approach, hard work, innovation, reform and opening-up under the Communist Party of China’s leadership. On the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, China has created a moderately prosperous society generally regarded as a miracle of development unmatched worldwide.

Africa appreciates that China stands ready to share its development experiences. Active collaboration on “the many lessons that could be learned from China” is ongoing.

China, as a “friend in need”, is a much better prospect for Africa as regards cooperation given the West’s division and leadership challenges.

China-Africa cooperation will be stepped up in the coming months with new and exciting opportunities for broader bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative are important platforms for Africa and China to accelerate cooperation in the following priority areas.

First, work toward the continued alignment of the AU’s Agenda 2063 with the Belt and Road and FOCAC action plans, with a stepped-up focus on practical outcomes for sustainable economic growth, industrialization and diversification. Cooperation should be expanded on infrastructure to effect an agricultural revolution on the continent and promote the digital economy in preparation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Both sides should cooperate to develop more special economic zones in Africa and work together to develop the green energy industry and the marine economy.

Creating alternative, innovative global and continental financial support and institutions with sound transparent fiscal policies; harnessing the demographic dividend through cooperation on education, science and technology, research and innovation and human resource skills training with a strong focus on youth; enhancing Africa’s peace and security architecture in support of the continent’s initiative to “silence the guns”, along with humanitarian support would all help unleash the continent’s potential.

Second, projects based on Chinese financing and support need to be increasingly linked to concrete benefits for Africans, including concern for and enhancement of local human resources, local procurement and the environment.

Third, both sides should increasingly strive toward a sound debt management framework and transparent fiscal policies for sustainable development.

Fourth, they should continue to jointly pursue good governance and institutional capacity support, combat corruption, tax evasion and illicit financial outflows.

The 2021 FOCAC meeting in Senegal comes at a critically important juncture for China and Africa and represents the next important building block in their increasingly vital strategic cooperation.

The author is a former senior diplomat in the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, and a senior research fellow with the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University. 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.