Share the Chinese Harmony and Perform Africa-China Symphony

By:  CUI Jianchun, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria

The world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, with ups and downs of COVID-19 throughout the world. The spillover effects of the Ukraine issue have impacted the global food, energy and financial landscape, and the cause of global development is facing headwinds. Against such backdrop, African countries have voiced urgent aspirations for development, and called for international equity and justice.  

China fully share the sentiment of African countries. Over the past decades, China and Africa have maintained long-term friendship, which has stood the test of changing international circumstances. The all-round cooperation between the two sides brought about remarkable outcomes in political, economic, social and security fields, which greatly contributed to Africa’s social and economic development. 

At present, China and Africa are stepping up efforts to implement the outcomes of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC) and accelerate the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future. China is ready to join Africa to promote the realization of the UN 2030 SDGs and the AU Agenda 2063, firmly safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and promote the building of a more just and rational international political and economic order. 

First, we will uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and build an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future. In November 2021 , Chinese President Xi Jinping made an important statement at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC and creatively put forward the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, featuring sincere friendship and equality, win-win for mutual benefit and common development, fairness and justice, and progress with the times and openness and inclusiveness. This spirit truly captures the relations of China and Africa working together in good and hard times over the past decades, and provides a source of strength for the continuous growth of China-Africa ties. 

At this Conference, President Xi also proposed “Nine Programs” of China-Africa cooperation in terms of medical and health, poverty reduction and agricultural development, trade promotion, investment promotion, digital innovation, green development, capacity building, cultural and people-to-people exchange, and peace and security. The Nine Programs have drawn up an ambitious blueprint for China-Africa cooperation in the coming years and have been highly praised by African countries. 

Under this framework, China will implement 80 key aid projects, establish a “green channel” for African agricultural products to China, and strive to import $300 billion worth of products from Africa in the next three years. China will support the building of the African continental Free Trade Area and the building of the Great Green Wall of Africa. These concrete measures meet the most pressing development needs of African countries, align with China’s new development pattern and conform to the general trend of international development cooperation. The Nine Programs are manifestos of China’s undiminished support to Africa’s development and will certainly lend new impetus to Africa’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

Second, we will jointly promote common development and safeguard global security and stability. The simmering hot spot issues in some regions have produced a series of negative spillover effects. The world is faced with multiple and cross-cutting challenges, and the economic recovery and social stability of developing countries are under impact. Developing countries should not be the victims of international crises, still less the victims of conflicts and turbulence. Meanwhile, international development cooperation is losing steam and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda of SDGs is at risk. 

Facts have proven time and again that development holds the key to solving all kinds of governance challenges and improving people’s well-being. Countries should put development at the center of the international agenda, improve the global governance system, strengthen global development cooperation and achieve common development for all. 

In a view to address pressing global deficit and imbalance of development, last September President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative(GDI) at the UN General Assembly. The purpose is to galvanize worldwide attention to development, strengthen global development partnership, promote international development cooperation, and catalyze global actions towards realization of 2030 Agenda.  

Later on, earlier this year at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022, President Xi Jinping proposed for the first time the Global Security Initiative(GSI). This major Initiative aims to meet the pressing need of the international community to maintain world peace and prevent conflicts and wars, to meet the common aspirations of countries to uphold multilateralism and international solidarity, and to meet the shared desire of all peoples to build a better world beyond the pandemic. 

These above two important initiatives are embedded in the spirit of true multilateralism, uphold the spirit of cooperation and partnership featuring openness, and welcomes the participation of all countries. The two initiatives also widely reflected the common aspirations of African counties, voiced their demands and thus enjoyed broad support from this continent. The two sides should uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship, set the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative into actions, and march toward the aspiration of promoting common and inclusive development, and safeguarding global security.

Third, we will work together to safeguard world fairness and justice and build a fair and just international order. As a firm builder of world peace, defender of the international order and mediator of hot spot issues, China always holds high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit. China is committed to upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. 

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African countries unanimously object hegemonism and power politics, interference in the internal affairs of other countries and racial discrimination, call for increased representation of developing countries in global governance, and guarantees of equal rights and equality of opportunity. 

For a long time, China and African countries have shared weal and woe, fighting together against colonization, apartheid and racism. We have understood and supported each other on issues concerning our core interests and major concerns, always standing at the forefront of international justice. 

However, there is a long way for us to make this world a fair, equal, inclusive and just place. Developing countries are kept on being victimized by hegemony, supremacy, blockade. China will always support developing countries, in particular the African countries in playing a bigger and more active role in international affairs, and is willing to work with African brothers to uphold and exercise true multilateralism, strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional affairs, and make the international governance system more just and equitable.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and most populous country with significant international and regional influence. China is the largest developing country. The friendship between our two countries could date back to decades ago, and we have become reliable partners worthy of mutual dependence. It is in the common interests of the two countries and the two peoples to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields.  

Currently the two countries are strengthening an intergovernmental committee led by the foreign ministers of the two countries. This committee will coordinate to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in various fields: to promote China’s new development pattern and Nigeria’s new national development plan; to jointly build the Belt and Road cooperation; to vigorously promote the construction of key projects to help the development of Nigeria’s industrialization; to continue to expand the space for cooperation to create new highlights of the digital economy and green economy; to carry out in-depth military security cooperation to improve Nigeria’s ability to maintain national security; to collaborate on regional affairs, exercise the concept of multilateralism, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Under the stewardship of the committee, the potential of all-round cooperation between our two countries will be greatly unleashed.   

China and Nigeria are two great countries in the world. I do believe that both countries share similar values and moralities, worship friendliness and kindness, work towards better lives of their own peoples and the peoples of the world at large. As the 14th Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, I was passionate to push forward the strategic partnership between our two countries. After my arrival, I have put forward 5GIST Nigeria-China GDP (Growth, Development and Progress) Strategy, which was warmly welcomed by Nigerian friends at various levels. I will spare no efforts to promote the two countries and peoples to Share Chinese Harmony and Perform Nigeria-China Symphony. With Nigeria-China’s joint efforts, I believe that this spirit will prevail in this continent, and in the end China and Africa will together Share Chinese Harmony and Perform Africa-China Symphony, working towards a shared future for all.

Share the Chinese Harmony and Perform Africa-China Symphony