FOCAC presents Africa with opportunities for massive poverty reduction
Named Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China hosted the largest partnership summit for three days from 4-6 September 2024 in Beijing, with 53 African countries in attendance. The summit is the biggest of its kind important because it represents cooperation between two gigantic populations. Its importance is also because of its critical significance to particularly impact the well-being of the wider African nations.
The ninth summit brought forth a moment to reflect on one of the valuable cooperation platforms in the Global South. Beneath, this analysis aims to highlight relevant pearls of the partnership flourishing for over two decades now.
Africa’s spectrum of partnerships
Over the last several decades since the abrupt end of colonization, the now-independent Africa forged nine formal external partnerships with organizations, regions, and countries, according to records from the African Union (AU). The Africa-League of Arab States partnership the African nation established with the Arab World launched in 1977, appeared to be one of the earliest platforms. In this regard, the AU Commission–USA High-Level Dialogue represents the youngest multilateral partnership Africa entered into with Washington following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) the parties signed in 2013. The China-Afro cooperation took an institutional form in 2000 giving birth to a platform that comprises 35 percent of the world population.
China’s partnership with Africa, what special?
There is no shortage of partnerships that Africa cooperates with across the globe. The question unanswered, however, is how genuine the cooperations have evolved so far to changing the African continent for the better. Similar to a number of other cooperation platforms Africa engages with, FOCAC should also be subjected to the existing high expectations. What is special about the China-Africa partnership? One stands out that is worth highlighting.
Among several partnerships Africa has forged across the globe, China-Africa cooperation interests and attracts African leaders the most. Unlike other platforms African statemen have been called for to join, China-Africa summits have continuously been joined virtually by all of them, including the latest September gathering in Beijing. The understanding is that the continent’s partnership with China presents lofty ambition to the African leaders. This is in the sense that the cooperation platform would genuinely contribute to the fast economic developments leading to the transformation of Africa from rampant poverty to prosperity inspired by China’s success with poverty reduction.
China’s remarkable economic growth driven by sustainable reforms boosting its productivity has been earning Beijing a massive rise in per capita GDP. China amassed strong growth with a record per capita GDP of over US$ 10,000 from less than US$ 100 in four decades, according to the World Bank, and OECD National Accounts data. This has been translated into an exemplary economic transformation, for the growth saw lifting more than 800 million people, equivalent to more than 60 percent of the African population out of poverty. The 2023 World Bank report expects China to reach a high income from its current Upper-Middle class.
A few ambitious African leaders aspire to China
The entire Africa known to be rinsed with natural resources supplying the world’s gigantic manufacturers will not be transformed into prosperous geography in overnight collective endeavors with a massive leadership involvement. This could however be achieved with a few key change agents leading the continent by example within a considerable period of years. A few ambitious Chinese change agents concerted forces leading their seemingly overpopulation polity from rampant poverty to remarkable prosperity. China appeared to fit into a viable model prioritizing accelerated growth that a few pragmatic and ambitious African leaders aspire for a practical and sustainable change. Three ensuing underlings would shed light to this.
Africa’s present is China’s past
What makes China’s past resemble Africa’s present is the level of poverty entrenched seemingly eternal. China’s past constitutes a now escaped penury which a significant geography of the African nation has been engulfed in for several decades now. Over half of the China’s 800 million people, lifted from poverty over the last forty years, continue experiencing humiliating living conditions in Africa. But Africa is lucky on one side. While compellingly living China’s- past currently, the continent can project a better future regretting the escapable present.
China’s present features Africa’s future
In the twenty-first century, China firmly positioned itself in the world economy as a leading manufacturer seamlessly reaching all corners of the globe with a sustainable supply of its products. Led by formative economic policies China brings its significant population into enabling force creating a key mass that leads to massive production and benefits fairly from the gains this generates. China’s present identity as the world’s manufacturer has saliently been equated with the remarkably organized involvement of its population.
As a leading supplier of key raw materials to the world manufacturing sphere led by China, Africa can achieve China’s present. Africa will have to re-engineer its mechanisms to induce skilled force that mobilizes the significant size of the continent’s population. Crafting Africa’s future that will feature a prosperous continent relying largely on its bounties requires reading well China’s exemplary present while strengthening the existing closer economic cooperation.
Closing Remark
China is a growingly key force pertaining to the economic developmental issues in several regions of the globe. If managed quite pragmatically, China’s huge economic achievements driven by its manufacturing prowess provide viable lessons to the continent of Africa. As China is the convincing world’s manufacturer the African nation is the world’s key raw materials supplier, no matter how disorganized and inefficient the latter remains. Africa’s contemporary change agents could integrate opportunities FOCAC as a platform for development presents into locally tailored systematic mechanisms to particularly achieve poverty reduction. As an important partner to global economic advancements, particularly through its rich resources, Africa will have to continue working with genuine partners-in-growth for fair and win-win benefits.
References
External partnerships between the AU and organizations, regions or countries: https://au.int/en/partnerships
The Forum on China–Africa Cooperation A strategic opportunity: https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/103618/mono156full.pdf
Extreme poverty is history in China, officials say: https://www.economist.com/china/2021/01/02/extreme-poverty-is-history-in-china-officials-say
China’s economy 70 years on: A tale of two women: https://aje.io/usx37
The World Bank in China: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/overview
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