China-Africa Relations: Equality, Cooperation and
Mutual Development
-----Speech by Ambassador Liu Guijin of
the Peoples Republic of China at the Seminar on
Sino-African Relations
Dr. Jakkie Cilliers,
Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies of
South Africa,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
First of all, I wish to thank the
Institute for Security Studies of South Africa for giving me
this opportunity to speak here and interact face to face
with all of you. As an Africanist who has been involved in
African diplomatic work for many years, I have been exposed
quite extensively to this beautiful and richly-endowed
continent, and cherish profound feelings with the honest and
friendly African people. Today, I am very happy to take this
opportunity to brief you on Sino-African relations and
Chinas policy towards Africa. My presentation consists
of five parts: 1. The history and current situation of
Sino-African friendly relations of cooperation; 2. The
evolution of Chinas Policy towards Africa; 3. The
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and its follow-up actions;
4. Significance of a stronger China-Africa relationship
under new circumstances; 5. China-South African
Relations.
Ⅰ. The history and current
situation of Sino-African friendly relations of
cooperation
If we look at the world map, it is
12,933 kilometers from Beijing to the Cape of Good Hope.
Despite the vast oceans that separates one another, the
friendship between China and Africa dated back to ancient
times and transcended both time and space. Communication and
indirect trade between China and Africa started as early as
over 3000 years ago. By the 6th century, China and Africa
already had direct contacts via sea route. In the 15th
century, Zheng He, the well-known Chinese navigator of that
time, led fleets to the east coast of Africa for four times,
and visited places in Somalia and Kenya of today. Even now,
the relics of the crew of Chinese fleets can still be found
in Kenya. In 2002, the copy of a Chinese map entitled
Da Ming Hun Yi Tu, which dates back to the year
of 1389 and is identified as the earliest map indicating the
outline of the whole African continent in the world, made a
stir in South Africa, when it was displayed as part of the
Parliamentary Millennium Project exhibition in Parliament of
South Africa. It proves that the contact between Chinese and
Africans predates the European discovery of the
African continent by over 100 years and China was the first
country that established contacts with
Africa.
In modern and contemporary history,
China and Africa shared similar experiences, both having
suffered from aggression, plunder and enslavement by
colonialists. Therefore, the Chinese people and the people
of Africa have all along rendered each other solidarity and
support and shared weal and woe in their struggles against
colonialism and for national independence and liberation. In
1949, the birth of new China opened up a new chapter in
Sino-African relations. Since 1950s and 1960s, as more and
more African countries won independence and
established diplomatic relations with China, the
Sino-African relationship was ushered into a new era of
all-round development. For the past 50 years or so, thanks
to the concerted efforts and care of leaders of several
generations from the both sides, Sino-African friendship has
withstood the test of times and our cooperation has
developed steadily and further deepened in the fields of
politics, economy, culture, education, public health and
military affairs, despite vicissitudes in the international
situation and tremendous changes in our respective national
conditions.
（1）Exchanges of high
level visits have been frequent. From 1963 to this
September, 92 Chinese leaders of and above the Foreign
Minister level have paid 149 visits to Africa, while 459 of
their counterparts from 51 African countries paid 609 visits
to China. Such exchange of high-level visits made precious
contributions to the development of Sino-African friendly
relations of cooperation.
Three generations of
Chinese leaders all attached great importance to forging the
friendly relations with Africa. In the 1960s, the Late
Premier Zhou Enlai visited Africa three times, covering 10
African countries and kicked off Chinas trip of
seeking friendship, peace and knowledge from Africa. The
late Chinese leader Mr. Deng Xiaoping followed very closely
the development and progress of African countries. During
his meetings with the visiting African leaders, Mr. Deng
shared with them in sincerity both the experience and
lessons in Chinas revolution and development, and
encouraged African countries to explore their own political
systems and development path suitable to their own
conditions. Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited
Africa four times, and made many important proposals on
issues such as how to strengthen Sino-African relations in
the new era. Since Chinas new generation of leadership
took office a year and a half ago, Chinese President, Vice
President, Premier and Chairman of the Standing Committee of
National Peoples Congress have visited 16 African
countries in succession. Since 1989, it has become a
tradition for the Chinese Foreign Minister to visit African
countries at the beginning of every year. Such frequent
exchange of visits strengthened the mutual understanding and
trust between China and Africa as well as the their
peoples.
（2）Sino-African trade
and economic cooperation has been advancing smoothly. For
long, China has provided within its capacity sincere
assistance to the economic development of African countries.
Since 1956, China has provided aid to over 800 projects in
Africa which involved agriculture, animal husbandry,
fishery, textile, energy, infrastructure, water conservancy,
power generation and other sectors. In the 1960s and 1970s,
despite its own economic difficulties, China sent over
50,000 engineers and technicians in building the
Tanzania-Zambia Railway project（TAZARA）which
stretches 1860 kilometers and involved RMB 900
million（the exchange rate then was $1=RMB1.5）.
This railway has not only become the economic artery between
Tanzania and Zambia as well as other African countries, but
also a monument to Sino-African
friendship.
Sino-African Bilateral trade has
surged over the years. The trade volume between China and
Africa was a mere $12 million in the early 1950s. However,
it exceeded $10 billion in 2000 and reached $18.55 billion
in 2003. In the first half of this year, it has already
amounted to $12.68 billion. Nevertheless, the trade volume
between China and Africa accounts for only 2.3% of
Chinas total foreign trade volume, promising a huge
potential for further growth. Mutually beneficial
cooperation also develops rapidly. According to incomplete
statistics, 674 Chinese companies were operating in Africa
by June 2004, with a total contracted investment of $1.509
billion. In addition, China has signed investment protection
agreements with 26 African
countries.
（3）Sino-African cooperation
in the education, scientific, cultural, public health,
agricultural and other fields has become more fruitful. The
Chinese Government has signed cultural cooperation
agreements with 46 African countries. Since 1956, China has
offered 15300 government scholarships to students from 52
African countries. In 2003, 1793 African students studied in
China, taking up 1/3 of the total number of foreign students
studying in China in the same year. Since 1963, a total of
15,000 Chinese doctors worked in 47 African states and
treated nearly 180 million cases. At present, 35 Chinese
medical teams composed of 880 doctors are working in 34
African countries. So far, China has sent over 10,000
agricultural experts and established almost 200 agricultural
projects such as farms, agrotechnical stations and
agricultural technician training programs in 40 African
countries.
Ⅱ. Chinas Policy towards
Africa
Since the founding of new China, the
Chinese Government always attaches great importance to
developing relations with Africa, and adopted a series of
related policies and guidelines which are often adjusted and
enriched according to the fluctuation in the international
situation and changes in the national conditions of the both
sides.
In the 1960s when the political
liberation is regarded as the most important task by most
African countries, late Premier Zhou Enlai put forward five
principles governing the relations between China and African
and Arab countries, and eight principles directing
Chinas assistance to African and Arab countries, both
of which have become the guiding ideology of Chinas
Policy towards Africa. Generally speaking, this policy is
that China supports the African countries and peoples in
their struggle against imperialism and colonialism in order
to win national independence. China also firmly supports
African countries to safeguard their sovereignty by opposing
any of the foreign interference.
In the early
1980s, China launched the reform and opening up policy,
while many African countries took economic development as
the central task. Therefore, China proposed four principles
on economic and technological cooperation between China and
African countries, namely: equality and mutual benefit,
emphasis on practical results, diversity in form, and
pursuit of common development.
In the middle
of 1990s, along with the in-depth development trend of
political multi-polarization and economic globalization,
former Chinese President Jiang Zemin put forward a
five-point proposal on developing a long-term and stable
relationship of all-round cooperation with African countries
oriented towards the 21st century, the core of which being
sincere friendship, treating each other as equals,
solidarity and cooperation, common development, and looking
to the future.
In this February, during the
visit to Africa, Chinese President Hu Jintao put forward
three-point initiatives, namely: to build on the traditional
friendship and push for new progress in China-Africa
relations, to persist in mutual assistance and mutual
benefit and promote the common prosperity of China and
Africa, to cooperate even more closely in an effort to
safeguard the rights and interests of the developing
countries. He also promised solemnly that together with our
African brothers, we are ready to do whatever is helpful to
peace and development in Africa, to the friendship and
cooperation between China and Africa, and to the maintenance
of interests of the developing countries as a whole. To sum
up, the main points of Chinas policy towards Africa
are as follows:
（1）To adhere to
the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, to respect the
choice of political system and development road made by the
African countries themselves according to their own national
conditions.
（2）To support the
African countries in their efforts to strengthen unity and
cooperation, to support the positive measures including the
implementation of NEPAD adopted by the AU and other
sub-regional organizations in seeking for peace, stability,
and development of the African
continent.
（3）To strengthen and
develop a long-term stable relationship of all-round
cooperation with African countries, by increasing the
exchange of visits of various levels, cementing friendship
and promoting cooperation.
（4）To
continue to provide the governmental assistance to the best
of our ability and without any political conditions. With
the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation as a new platform,
develop economic and trade cooperation in diversified forms
and various fields, encourage enterprises of both sides to
enhance exchanges, enlarge bilateral trade, increase
investment and seek common
development.
（5）To appeal to the
international community especially the developed countries
to show more respect and concern for Africa, attach more
importance to the peace and development in Africa, adopt
feasible measures, increase their aid for Africa, honor
their commitment to debt relief, enabling Africa to
eradicate poverty while narrowing the gap between Africa and
other parts of the world.
（6）To
support African countries to participate in the
international affairs as equal members of the international
community and play a positive role, continue to uphold
justice and speak out for African countries in international
affairs, strengthen China-Africa consultation and
cooperation, work together to safeguard the legitimate
rights and interests of the developing countries and strive
for setting up a just and equitable new international
political and economic order.
Ⅲ.
Establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
(FOCAC) and results of its follow-up actions
As
we find ourselves at the beginning of the 21st century,
maintaining peace, seeking stability and promoting
development have become a shared aspiration of people of all
countries. In order to further strengthen the friendly
cooperation between China and Africa under the new
circumstances and jointly respond to the challenge of
economic globalization, the Chinese government made the
proposal of convening the first Ministerial Conference of
the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing in October
2000, in light of suggestions of some African countries. As
the Director-General of African Department of the Chinese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Secretary-General of the
Secretariat of FOCAC by that time, I was fortunate enough to
participate the whole process of the preparation and
convention of the Conference. The Conference had adopted two
important documents, Beijing Declaration of the Forum
on China-Africa Cooperation and Program for
China-Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social
Development, constituting the framework of a new type
of partnership between China and Africa featuring long-term
stability, equality and mutual benefit and all-round
cooperation. After that, both the Chinese and African side
had taken positive moves to implement the follow-up actions
of the Forum, achieving gratifying results. In particular,
the Chinese government had honored its promise well ahead of
schedule in the field of debts relief, signing debt
exemption protocols with 31 African states, canceling 156
African debts with a total value of 1.27 billion USD. China
had also set up an African Human Resources Development
Fund.
In December 2003, the Second
Ministerial Conference of FOCAC was convened in Addis Ababa,
capital of Ethiopia. The Conference had adopted the
FOCAC Addis Ababa Action Plan (2004-2006), mapping out
a program for China-Africa cooperation in the political,
economic, trade and social development and other areas in
the next three years to come. The Chinese government made
the following important commitments at the
Conference:
Continue to increase assistance to
African countries;
Strengthen cooperation with Africa
in human resources development and train up to 10,000
African personnel in different fields in three
years;
Open market and grant tariff-free market access
to some commodities from the least developed countries in
Africa;
Expand tourism cooperation with Africa,
besides South Africa, Egypt and Morocco, give 8 additional
African countries, namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia,
Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Tunisia, the Tanzania,
Zambia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Tunisia, the
approved destination status for outbound Chinese
tourists.
The first China-Africa Business
Conference was held in parallel with the 2nd Ministerial
Conference. Over 500 Chinese and African entrepreneurs
attended the conference and held business talks. 21
cooperation agreements were signed with a total value of one
billion USD.
So far, the follow-up actions of
the Forum have either been implemented or made substantial
progress. Hereby I would like to especially elaborate four
areas of
cooperation:
（1）Cooperation in
the field of human resources development
There
is an old Chinese saying, it is better to teach somebody how
to fish than simply give him the fish. In order to help
African countries to enhance their ability of capacity
building, and in collaboration of NEPAD priorities, FOCAC
has made human resources development the focal point of its
follow-up actions. From October 2000 to November 2003, the
Chinese side has sponsored nearly 300 training courses under
the item of African Human Resources Development Fund,
training more than 6000 African personnel in areas of
diplomacy, economic management, national defense,
agriculture, medical treatment, education, science,
technology and culture, and dispatched more than 500 Chinese
experts and teachers to Africa to give short-time training
courses. China has made contribution to the African Capacity
Building Foundation initiated by the IMF and sponsored
nearly 20 vocational courses under the framework of TCDC
(Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries)
exclusively for African trainees. After the 2nd Ministerial
Conference of the Forum, the Chinese side has established an
interministerial co-ordination mechanism on foreign
human resources development cooperation, to increase
the level of financial input as well as the scale of
training programs. The Ministry of Commerce, for example,
has doubled its financial input for the training of African
personnel in 2004, and plans to hold 102 administrative and
technical programs for Africa, compared with 50 last year,
training 1800 African personnel this year. In addition, the
Chinese side is actively exploring the possibility of
sending youth volunteers to
Africa.
（2）Market
access
In order to conscientiously improve the
market access of African products to the Chinese market, the
Chinese side promised to implement exemption of tariffs for
certain commodities exported from the least developed
African countries. In July this year, the Chinese side has
worked out an initial list of commodities that enjoy
tariff-free treatment from 28 least developed African
countries, as well as the corresponding rule of place of
origin, and sent relevant documents to the governments of
those countries. Talks are underway between the two sides,
and the zero-tariff treatment of the listed products is
highly expected to be implemented early next
year.
（3）Cooperation in the
fields of peace and security
China has been
consistently supporting African regional and sub-regional
organizations like OAU, AU, SADC and ECOWAS, in efforts to
safeguard regional peace and security. During the past few
years, especially since the establishment of FOCAC, China
has played a more active role in the UN peacekeeping
missions in Africa. The cooperation between China and Africa
in the fields of peace and security has been greatly
enhanced. During the first seven months of this year, China
has sent 567 additional peacekeeping troops to Liberia, Cote
divoire, Burundi, DRC and the border between Ethiopia
and Eritrea. Among those, the peacekeeping mission in
Liberia is the largest peacekeeping force ever sent by China
at the request of UN to participate in UN peacekeeping
missions in Africa, consisting of three companies-an
engineering battalion, transportation companies and medical
personnel, with a total number of troops of 558. By the end
of July 2004, China had sent about 1401 peacekeeping troops
to take part in nine UN missions in Africa. At present there
are 840 Chinese peacekeepers participating in seven UN
missions in
Africa.
（4）Cooperation in
international affairs
During the past few
years, the international situation has become more
complicated with the new manifestation of hegemonism and
power politics, the issue of development being neglected,
and the gap between North and South even widening. Under
this new circumstance, the cooperation between China and
African countries in international affairs has been further
enhanced. China supports the strong outcry of African
countries such as South Africa to urge the international
community to focus more on resolving the developmental
issues. We fully endorse multilateralism, and supports
necessary reform of the UN in order to strengthen its role.
China is in favor of expanding the Security Council, giving
priority to greater representation of the developing
countries, and vigorously supports more representation of
the African countries in the Security Council. During the
WTO agricultural negotiations last year, China has forged
close coordination and cooperation with the developing
countries including African countries in the form of G20+,
to safeguard the collective interests of the developing
world. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the
14th Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement as well
as the 2nd Asian-African Sub-Regional Organizations
Conference (AASROCⅡ) in South Africa this August, and
together with the representatives from Africa and other
developing countries, loudly appealed to the world to
establish a new international economic order that is fair
and rational, while giving firm support to the establishment
of a new Asian-African Strategic Partnership. In addition to
that, China attaches great importance and appreciations to
the establishment of India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue
Forum (IBSA), and is willing to give positive consideration
to take part in the relevant activities of IBSA in an
appropriate way, in order to make new contributions to
promote the solidarity and cooperation between developing
countries.
After years of development, FOCAC
has become a mechanism of collective consultation and
dialogue between China and friendly African countries,
providing a new platform of friendly exchange and
cooperation between China and Africa besides bilateral
channels. I am deeply convinced that with the concerted
efforts of China and Africa, the Forum is bound to bring out
more practical results, and breathe new vitality into the
friendly relationship between China and
Africa.
IV. China is the largest developing
country in the world while Africa is the continent where
most of the worlds developing countries are
concentrated. Cementing Sino-African relations under the new
circumstances is of great significance for the promotion of
South-South cooperation and the common development of both
China and Africa.
At the political level,
strengthened consultation and cooperation between China and
Africa could contribute positively to the establishment of a
new world order that is just and equitable. Both belonging
to the developing world and without any historical disputes
whatsoever between each other, China and Africa share
traditional friendship and strategic common interests. They,
therefore, hold identical or similar positions on many of
the major international issues and embrace similar stands
and demands on what kind of world order to build under the
new situation. Strengthened consultation and even closer
cooperation between China and Africa are conducive to
augment the voices of developing countries in international
affairs and safeguard their rights and interests. On the
other hand, only when developing countries stand together in
unity and solidarity can further progress be made in the
international relations towards a more democratic
orientation. Consequently, this would, in a more effective
manner, impel developed countries to attach more importance
to the interests of developing countries and ensure their
niche amidst the fierce competition in the international
arena.
Secondly, at the economic level, as
China and Africa are mutually complementary in their
advantages, strengthened cooperation between them can
promote common development and elevate the level of
South-South cooperation. Excellent natural conditions and
abundant resources have made Africa the reservoir of
development potentials. Many countries in Africa now enjoy
social stability and economic development while others are
making positive efforts in exploring the developmental path
suitable to their own national realities. After years of
development, especially since the policy of reform and
opening-up was adopted 25 years ago, China has gradually
found and embarked on a developmental path of socialism with
Chinese characteristics. Remarkable social and economic
successes have been achieved. Chinas successful
experience in economic development can be of reference for
African countries. China can also offer some technology and
equipment that are comparatively suitable to African
conditions. Furthermore, the vast African market creates
opportunities for the two sides to strengthen and expand
their cooperation. Above said, the most important fact is
that Sino-African cooperation based on equality, mutual
benefit and sincerity constitutes an important part of
South-South cooperation. The strengthening of cooperation
between China and Africa would not only help promote each
others economic development, but also give impetus to
South-South cooperation. This, in turn, will contribute to
the common prosperity of developing countries as well as the
narrowing of the North-South gap and the promotion of peace,
stability and development of the world.
V.
China-South Africa Relations
Bilateral
relations between China and South Africa witnessed all-round
and rapid development since the two countries established
diplomatic ties in 1998. Mutual trust is steadily enhanced
along with frequent exchanges of high-level visits. In April
2000, the two countries signed the Pretoria Declaration on
partnership relations, followed by the establishment of the
Bi-National Commission (BNC). At the second session of BNC
in June this year, China and South Africa further identified
their relations as strategic partnership of equality,
mutual benefit and common development. This
identification not only responds to the objective
requirements for the deepening of relations between China
and South Africa, but also sets even higher goals for the
two countries in further elevating their level of
cooperation.
With a 20% share in the
China-Africa trade, South Africa is Chinas largest
trading partner in Africa. For South Africa, China is its
second largest trading partner in Asia as well as its eighth
largest exporting destination and fifth largest origin of
import. In the first eight months of this year, bilateral
trade of US$ 3.74 billion was recorded. It is expected that
the bilateral trade could exceed US$ 5 billion for the whole
year of 2004. Two events in June this year have created
fresh opportunities for the expansion of economic
cooperation and trade between China and South Africa in
particular and that between China and countries in the
Southern African region in general. One was the official
recognition by South Africa of Chinas status as a
market economy. The other was South Africas
announcement on behalf of Southern African Customs Union
(SACU) that negotiations will begin with China on the
setting up of a free trade area. As for investment, the
total volume of two-way investment between China and South
Africa arrives at US$ 500 million. Cooperation between the
two countries also progresses smoothly in major projects
involving the indirect coal liquefication and chrome. Of
specific importance inter alia is the Letter of Intent
signed recently between Sasol and consortium of Chinese
companies including Shenhua Group on the feasibility study
of the first phase of a coal-to-fuel conversion
programme. It was just several days ago that Sappi, South
Africas largest paper group, made its first investment
in China, embarking on its road to do business with Chinese
partners.
Furthermore, China and South Africa
have been cooperating dynamically in many other fields
including culture, science and technology, education,
justice as well as in the international arena. In April
2003, South Africa became the first country of destination
in sub-Sahara Africa for self-financed Chinese tourists.
Seventeen pairs of Chinese and South African provinces or
cities have signed twinning agreements so far. China
supports South Africa in playing an even greater role in
African affairs and has also responded positively to the
call by South Africa for enhanced cooperation among
developing countries, especially among major countries in
the developing world.
For me, as the Chinese
ambassador who has been in South Africa for three years and
a half, I have had the privilege to experience and feel the
high enthusiasm and care leaders of the two countries have
devoted to the development of bilateral relations. I am also
genuinely overjoyed to see the rapid and steady development
of the friendly cooperation between China and South Africa.
I am fully convinced that the partnership between China and
South Africa and that between China and Africa will enjoy
even broader prospects.
With these words, I
have come to the end of my presentation. I thank you for
your kind attention. Now I am ready to take up your
questions concerning China-Africa and China-South Africa
relations.