Opinion
Common Vision
The development of China-Africa friendly relations has always been an important part of China's diplomatic work
By Zhu Weidong  ·  2018-03-12  ·   Source: | VOL.10 March 2018

Kenyan commuters dance beside a locomotive in Mombasa on January 11, 2017. The Chinamade locomotive runs along the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, which came into service in mid-2017

Local people dance beside a locomotive in Mombasa, Kenya on January 11, 2017. The China-made locomotive runs along the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, which came into service in mid-2017 SUN RUIBO

Enhancing solidarity and cooperation with African countries has always been the cornerstone of China's independent foreign policy of peace, as well as China's firm and longstanding strategic choice. Therefore, the development of China-Africa friendly relations has always been an important part of China's diplomatic work. Over the past decades after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese leaders of every generation have attached great importance to China-Africa friendship and cooperation.

The great attention that the Chinese Government pays to its policy toward Africa is determined by its characterization of China-Africa relations, which was made clear in Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Tanzania in March 2013 that "China and Africa have always been a community of shared future."

The characterization of "China-Africa community of a shared future" is based on the history, reality and future of both sides. The similar historical experiences, the shared strategic interests, as well as the common development tasks have bound the two sides closely together. The Chinese people are currently committed to realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation while African people are striving for the African aspiration of self-development through unity and growth. Peoples in China and Africa should strengthen unity and cooperation and support and help each other to make their respective dreams come true.

In order to consolidate and bolster a China-Africa community of a shared future, the Chinese Government released its second document of China's Africa Policy in November 12, 2015, which stresses the establishment and development of China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership. Such a partnership requires political equality and mutual trust, win-win economic cooperation, mutually enriching cultural exchanges, mutual assistance in security, and solidarity and coordination in international affairs.

For China to implement its Africa policy and the concrete measures required, the Chinese Government will uphold the values of friendship, justice and shared interests and adhere to the principles of sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith, with the aim of developing and improving this shared future, as well as pushing for new leapfrog growth of its friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation with African countries.

"Sincerity" means that the Chinese people will treat African people as faithful friends and sincerely treasure the traditional friendship between both sides; "practical results" means China will faithfully honor whatever commitments it has made; "affinity" means promoting communication of ideas, coordination of policies and mutual understanding through inter-cultural dialogue with the aim of providing a solid base for China-Africa friendship; "good faith" means that China will face squarely the new developments and new problems confronting relations with Africa and settle the problems through equal consultation in the spirit of mutual respect. China will never travel the beaten path of colonialism in its cooperation with Africa and never pursue development at the cost of Africa's natural and ecological environment or long-term interests. Upholding the values of friendship, justice and shared interests is the hallmark of China's policy toward other developing countries.

The core principle is to connect its assistance to developing countries, including the African countries, for their independent and sustainable development with China's own development, achieve win-win cooperation, and promote more balanced, inclusive and sustainable development of the world at large.

The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has expressly confirmed that China will follow a path of peaceful development and work to build a community of a shared future for mankind.

The China-Africa community of a shared future aims to push for the realization of the Chinese Dream and the Africa aspiration, both of which will enable the people to lead a more prosperous and happier life.

The realization of the Chinese dream and the African aspiration will definitely help to realize the dream of building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

(The writer is a senior research fellow with the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

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