Fruitful, dynamic cooperation with China promotes Africa's independent development

BEIJING, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- As leaders from China and African nations are scheduled to gather in Beijing for a summit in early September, expectations are high that the event will chart the course for enhancing bilateral cooperation and advancing Africa's independent and sustainable development.

Through joint efforts under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) as well as the Belt and Road Initiative, continuous and solid progress has been made in cooperation in such fields as industry, agriculture and health, epitomizing the unique resilience and dynamism of China-Africa relations. Such cooperation has helped improve the well-being of the people and promote the industrialization of the continent that is home to the world's largest number of developing countries.

Recent data highlight the vigorous momentum of China-Africa relations. China has been Africa's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching a record 282.1 billion U.S. dollars last year. African exports of agricultural products to China have increased for seven straight years. In the first half of this year alone, China imported goods worth 60.1 billion dollars from Africa, up 14 percent year on year.

China is one of the major sources of foreign investment in Africa. By the end of 2023, China's stock of direct investment in Africa had exceeded 40 billion U.S. dollars. Chinese companies have created 1.1 million jobs in Africa over the past three years, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

China has also promoted the development and transformation of Africa's industrial chains through capacity cooperation, technology transfer and talent cultivation. China has trained more than 220,000 personnel of various types for African countries, taking into account their actual needs. This also enhances African countries' capacity for independent development.

Furthermore, China-Africa agricultural cooperation has flourished, producing fruitful results in terms of technical assistance and training of agricultural experts, transfer of advanced agricultural technologies, and the building of agricultural parks, thereby helping modernize agriculture in Africa.

Chinese hybrid rice technology, for example, has assisted countries such as Madagascar and Liberia in increasing their rice output. China's Juncao, also known as "magic grass," has been successfully planted and promoted in countries including the Central African Republic, Rwanda and South Africa, increasing the income of local people and contributing to their green development.

China advocates for win-win cooperation, striving to integrate its own development with that of Africa and align the interests of the Chinese and African peoples. Relying on its strengths in industry, investment and infrastructure construction as the world's second-largest economy, China has cooperated with a number of African countries to build railways, ports, roads, industrial zones and energy projects, driving the industrialization of the continent.

Developing solidarity and cooperation with African countries has been the cornerstone of China's foreign policy. The phrase "a friend in need is a friend indeed" aptly describes China-Africa cooperation, as it is a partnership founded on mutual respect and support, targeting shared development and win-win outcomes and creating tangible benefits for people in China and Africa.

With its solid foundation of unbreakable friendship, China-Africa cooperation will surely reach new heights in the course of building a high-level community with a shared future. Through such cooperation, African countries will secure even greater progress in their independent and sustainable development.