BY BALEW DEMISSIE (PhD)
I recently visited China to attend a seminar on Chinese Modernization and African Development in Zhejiang Province, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Normal University. I also had the opportunity to hear various presentations on China by long-time Chinese diplomats and professors. This is my first hand reflection on what I understand about China’s foreign policy and China-Africa relations.
China’s foreign policy is characterized by Chinese features, national rejuvenation, a win-win approach, friendly cooperation, and building a common future based on peace and common development. The main goals of the strategy are to protect independence and sovereignty and promote peace and development in the world. It pursues an independent foreign policy of peace. The five principles of peaceful coexistence are the cornerstones of the strategy. Strengthening solidarity and cooperation with emerging countries is the foundation. Spreading an open-minded attitude and promoting international relations are the government’s basic policies. China has a long history of peaceful cooperation and is a peaceful nation. These principles which form the cornerstone of traditional Chinese culture shaped Chinese philosophy and behavior.
In Chinese history, peace has always been a primary objective. Confucianism places great emphasis on self-cultivation, family leadership, state governance, and the promotion of world peace. It establishes the thinking of harmony at the individual, family, state, and global levels. According to Taoism, man and nature can live together, and it emphasizes “action without action” The Art of War by Sun Tzu also described Chinese military tactics, including severing relationships through diplomacy and avoiding conflict if at all possible. The best battle strategies are to defeat the enemy without engaging in combat.
China has historically fought battles primarily in self-defense despite invasion and the threat of powerful enemies. The Great Wall of China is a clear example of how China views national defense. China also assumed political responsibilities and provided security for member countries through the tribute system. In China’s history spanning over 5000 years, the country’s culture places harmony, fairness, and righteousness above all else, which is also reflected in the national system.
Under its independent foreign policy of peace, China has pursued the path of peaceful development and the win-win strategy of opening up with great success in national development. The country is currently the world’s largest economy, the largest exporter of capital, the largest holder of foreign exchange reserves, and the largest trading partner of about 149 countries. China’s peaceful development has helped hundreds of millions of people escape poverty and has contributed to promoting world peace and stability as well as economic growth. China also offers suggestions to resolve regional and international trouble spots while defending world peace and stability as a driving force for global development.
China and Africa are geographically far apart. Nevertheless, Chinese naval expeditions in the 15th century traveled to Madagascar, Kenya, Somalia, and the East Coast of Africa. They produced maps of Africa that resembled the continent we know today. Chinese explorers thus reached Africa even before Columbus. In modern times, China established diplomatic relations with Egypt in 1952 to defeat colonialism and imperialism.
China has never invaded or colonized another nation’s land. The country doesn’t have any colonies elsewhere in the world. It despises violence and favors coexistence, cooperation, and peace. A stable internal and external environment is the foundation for China’s growth and development. Prosperity and progress follow peaceful development. The nation abstains from interfering with other nations and passionately believes in working together to maintain the globe. It actively engages in collaboration with common goals, prospects, genuineness, and connectivity. It places a high value on international law, peace, development, multilateralism, and global government. China vehemently rejects hegemony, terrorism, cyber-attacks, and unilateralism.
China’s role in Africa can be divided into four phases. The first phase spans from 1941 to 1978, the period of China’s reform and opening up, traditional friendship, shared history and resistance to imperialism. The leadership at that time visited many African countries. Although China also went through a difficult period, the country built the Tanzanian road, the TAZARA Freedom Road. Tragically, many Chinese workers sacrificed their lives. In the 1960s, China had actively supported African liberation movements and was the only world power to show real solidarity with Third World peoples struggling against colonialism. Africa also provided great support in restoring China’s legal seat in the UN.
The second phase lasted from 1978 to 2000, and China implemented the reforms and the opening up. In 2000, the country established the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), an official forum between the People’s Republic of China and all the countries of Africa. It is the first dialogue between China and developing countries, including Arab, African and Latin American countries. FOCAC is the main multilateral coordination mechanism between African countries and China. Since its establishment, FOCAC has gone through three submits. The third phase is from 2000 to 2012, when Chinese and African leaders met in Beijing in 2006 to review the achievements of China-Africa friendly cooperation over the past 50 years, preview future bilateral cooperation and exchange views on major international issues. The fourth development is from 2012 to the present. In particular, the pandemic broke out in November 2021. Even during the pandemic, China-Africa relations are based on strong unity and cooperation, benefiting both sides. China shows sincerity, equality, common development, justice, openness, inclusiveness, prosperity and community for a common future.
It is indeed better to mention the new development of China-Africa and the new challenges. Since modern times, China has done a lot for Africa. China has successfully established the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. China and Africa have also established various platforms to promote their mutual development. These include agricultural products, promotion of China-Africa cooperation, China-Africa agriculture development, vocational training, poverty alleviation, innovation, science and technology forums, space stations, etc. The BRI initiative is also an open platform that provides common goods to the international community.
African ambassadors to China are also working hard to promote Africa-China relations. Recently, officials from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Gabon, Eritrea and Congo DRC paid a visit to Beijing. The friendship between Africa and China spans the entire Chinese territory. Mutual political trust and pragmatic cooperation are increasing. The trade volume between China and Africa is also increasing rapidly. China has been Africa’s largest trading partner for 14 years.
China is committed to common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in cooperation with Africa. It promotes a win-win path of common security and abandons the cold war and zero-sum mentality. China supports the African people in addressing African problems and emphasizes the leading role of the AU and other sub-regional organizations in maintaining peace and security in Africa. China is committed to stability and peace in Africa and always advocates solving problems through dialogue.
China-Africa relations have reached an unprecedented growth stage. They have frequent high-level exchanges and ever-increasing strategic mutual trust, with in-depth consultations and dialogues in various fields and at different levels. The new Chinese central leadership attaches great importance to China-Africa relations, with President Xi Jinping and his core visiting numerous African countries and outlining cooperation frameworks and projects.
China does not export its modernization. Rather, it advises all African nations to develop their own modernization based on their local conditions and context, rather than simply copying and pasting. However, one of the challenges China faces is the increasing number of acts of sabotage and misrepresentations related to economic issues and the so-called “debt trap.” In addition, some critics of China argue that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has led to a debt trap for some developing countries, which is completely untenable rumor. To counter this mystification, China has been working on its realities, values, stories, and image in the world.
Overall, China and Africa are expected to maintain their close relations and work to deepen their cooperation and partnership. China will continue to support Africa’s development through investment and assistance, while African countries welcome China’s contributions. Economic cooperation will continue under the Belt and Road Initiative, with China providing funds for infrastructure projects to create jobs and promote economic development in Africa. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges will also be strengthened, and China will continue to support peace and security issues in Africa through its participation in UN peacekeeping missions and the provision of military support to the African Union. Overall, the two sides will work together to promote the development and prosperity of both sides.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 9 JUNE 2023
