President Xi Jinping addresses via video link from Beijing the Eigth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Dakar, Senegal, on Nov 29. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

President Xi Jinping outlined on Nov 29 a new road map to build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, as he unveiled nine projects — including an aid package of another 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines — to further cooperation.

Xi made the announcement in a keynote speech delivered via video link from Beijing to the opening ceremony of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

To help Africa achieve its target of vaccinating 60 percent of its population by 2022, China will donate 600 million vaccine doses and offer another 400 million doses via joint production by Chinese and local firms, the president said.

China will also help African countries implement 10 health programs and send 1,500 medical workers and public health experts to the continent, he added.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and African countries. Xi said the two sides have forged an unbreakable fraternity in their joint struggle against imperialism and colonialism, and have embarked on a journey of cooperation toward development and revitalization.

“Together, we have written a splendid chapter of mutual assistance amid complex changes and set a shining example for building a new type of international relations,” he said.

He attributed the close relationship to “an everlasting spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation forged between the two sides, which features sincere friendship, equality, mutual benefit and common development, fairness and justice”, adding that the relationship had progressed with “openness and inclusiveness”.

Calling it the historic starting point of building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, Xi made a four-point proposal: fighting COVID-19 with solidarity; deepening practical cooperation; promoting green development; and upholding equity and justice.

“We need to open up new prospects for China-Africa cooperation, expand trade and investment, share experience on poverty reduction, strengthen cooperation on digital economy, and promote entrepreneurship by young Africans and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises,” he added.

Xi underlined the necessity for both sides to promote green development, saying there is a need to advocate green and low-carbon development and actively promote solar, wind and other sources of renewable energy.

In upholding equality and peace, he said China and Africa need to unequivocally stand for the just propositions of developing countries and translate their common aspirations and interests into joint actions.

Xi said China will work closely with African nations to carry out nine programs as part of the first three-year plan under the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035.

In addition to health programs, China will undertake 10 poverty reduction and agricultural projects in Africa and send 500 agricultural experts to the continent, he said.

China’s imports from African nations will total $300 billion over the next three years. Fast lanes for African agricultural exports to China will be established by speeding up inspection and quarantine procedures. The number of products enjoying zero-tariff treatment for least-developed countries with diplomatic relations with China will also be increased, he said.

China will provide $10 billion to support African exports. A zone for in-depth China-Africa trade and economic cooperation will be built in China as well as a China-Africa industrial park for Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said.

As part of the investment promotion program, China will encourage Chinese businesses to invest no less than $10 billion in the continent in the next three years, and will establish a platform for China-Africa private investment promotion, the president said.

China will help build or upgrade 10 schools in Africa, and invite 10,000 high-caliber African professionals to seminars and workshops, Xi said, adding that Chinese companies in Africa will be encouraged to create at least 800,000 local jobs.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hailed the role of FOCAC in promoting South-South cooperation and relations between China and African countries. He called it a valuable and practical dialogue that helps to bring about a more equitable international order and amplify Africa’s voice on the world stage.

Since its inception, FOCAC has become an engine of progress and an instrument through which the two sides have forged diplomatic security, trade and investment ties that bind African countries and China, Ramaphosa said. 

He added that South-South cooperation has become more important than ever as the two sides work to overcome the pandemic and strive for an equitable global economic recovery.

Other senior African officials also said they were encouraged by the spirit of cooperation expressed by Xi during his speech at the FOCAC meeting.

The proposals announced by Xi will go a long way in advancing the common ambition to achieve shared prosperity for the well-being of the African and Chinese peoples, they said, adding that the announcements reflect the progress made over the years and will help define the main orientations of China-Africa cooperation.

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said the promise by China to contribute more to Africa’s fight against COVID-19, the development of skills and to promote environmentally friendly trade practices demonstrates that Sino-African relations are growing stronger.

“Some people are mistaken to think that Africa is moving away from its traditional investment partners by ramping up cooperation with China,” Diop said. “However, we as Africans are able to gauge which partners suit our different needs and are free to decide who we trade with.”

Referring to Xi’s announcement that China will further increase the scope of products enjoying zero-tariff treatment for African countries in a bid for African imports to reach $300 billion in the next three years, Diop said that Africa will go for partnerships that are tailor-made for the continent.

The entry of China on the scene has introduced a new model of win-win cooperation. Africa will still partner with other countries depending on the expertise they have to offer, but this must be guided by the spirit of mutual benefit, an element which China has mustered well, Diop said.

Nicolas Fataki Lungele, ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Senegal, said that the promise by China to increase investments by Chinese companies in Africa is a good sign for the continent’s future job market and for skills acquisition.

“The advantage we get from Chinese businesses investing in Africa is the skills transfer in technological know-how to our young people thereby increasing their chances to get employment,” Lungele said.

“In addition, China’s promise to avail funds to African financial institutions to support the development of African small and medium-sized enterprises will help create employment at the grassroots level and eradicate poverty through empowerment,” he said.

On the pandemic front, Lungele said that vaccination rates in Africa are low compared with the rest of the world, with many states at the mercy of foreign donors. China, by promising to incorporate African states in the joint production of vaccines developed by Chinese companies, will improve Africa’s capacity for self-sufficiency, he said.

“As Africans, we appreciate the … leadership shown by the Chinese government in the fight against the pandemic and thank China for its support and help toward economic development and the fight against the virus,” Lungele said.

China has provided more than 1.7 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 110 countries and international organizations, including 50 African countries, as of Nov 12, according to a report released by the State Council Information Office last month.

In addition to supplying the vaccines directly, Chinese enterprises have also partnered with enterprises in other countries, such as Egypt, to produce the jabs locally. In Africa, Chinese vaccines will also be produced in Morocco and Algeria in order to reach more people.

Lungele said the spirit of cooperation was conveyed in the theme for the Dakar meeting: “Deepen China-Africa Partnership and Promote Sustainable Development to Build a China-Africa Community With a Shared Future in the New Era”.

“Africa is on the rise and we are glad that China is ready to stand by us as we move into a prosperous future where hopefully, we will eradicate poverty on the continent just like China did,” he added.

The triennial FOCAC meeting brought together leaders including Senegalese President Macky Sall, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.

Zhao Jia contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn