An article titled "Be Trustworthy Friends and Sincere Partners Forever" that was included in the first volume of Chinese President Xi Jinping's book on governance remains a classic must-read piece to understand the essence of China-Africa cooperation.
In this article, which was Xi's speech delivered on March 25, 2013 at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Tanzania, Xi for the first time raised the principle of "zhen shi qin cheng" for China's Africa policy, which means sincerity, real results, amity and good faith.
Many years have passed since that momentous day in the history of China-Africa ties, but the principle endures.
When addressing the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue held in August 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Xi recalled the moment when he raised the principle, saying that China has always upheld this principle.
"Over the past 10 years, China has stayed committed to this principle. Together with our African friends and drawing strength from the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, we have pressed ahead on the path of solidarity and cooperation, stood for justice amid shifting global dynamics, and looked out for each other in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have taken China-Africa relations to new heights and entered the new stage of jointly building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future," said Xi.
In fact, the principle has underpinned China's engagement with Africa in the numerous fruitful cooperation projects that have been facilitated by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) over the years.
Since Xi became Chinese president in 2013, the FOCAC has convened three major gatherings, in 2015, 2018 and 2021, respectively. In each keynote speech he delivered for the past three FOCAC events, Xi has always stressed this principle for China-Africa cooperation.
Through the FOCAC platform, Xi has announced a raft of arrangements to expand China-Africa cooperation and deepen friendship over the years.
During the FOCAC Johannesburg summit in 2015, Xi announced 10 major cooperation plans. Three years later, during the FOCAC Beijing summit, he announced the launch of eight major cooperation initiatives. In 2021, Xi's keynote speech was delivered via video link at the opening ceremony of the 8th FOCAC ministerial conference held in Senegal, where he announced nine cooperation programs.
These cooperation plans, coupled with the Belt and Road Initiative -- also proposed by Xi in 2013, have led to tangible results such as improved infrastructure and connectivity in Africa.
Official data showed that Chinese companies have so far participated in the construction or upgrade of more than 10,000 km of railways, nearly 100,000 km of roads, about 1,000 bridges and 100 ports, 66,000 km of electricity transmission and distribution lines, and 150,000 km of backbone communication networks in African countries.
The "zhen shi qin cheng" principle is also exemplified by the frequent high-level exchanges between Chinese and African leaders, indicating the great importance China and Africa attach to each other. When addressing the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue last year, Xi said it was his 10th visit to the African continent.
Since the start of this year, presidents of African nations such as Sierra Leone, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Tunisia and Guinea-Bissau, as well as foreign ministers of many African nations have visited China.
China walks the talk in ensuring that the principle translates into real actions that produce concrete results. According to the China International Development Cooperation Agency, tasks related to Chinese aid and development cooperation under the nine FOCAC cooperation programs announced in 2021 have all been completed over the past three years, with tangible results.
For instance, 25 medical and health projects have materialized, including the China-aided headquarters for the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 47 poverty reduction and agricultural development projects have been carried out in African countries including Malawi, Burundi and Cote d'Ivoire.
During the period, China also sent more than 500 agricultural experts to Africa, and provided emergency food aid worth nearly 700 million yuan (about 100 million U.S. dollars) to more than 30 African countries.
Xi will attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 FOCAC summit on Sept. 5 in Beijing and deliver a keynote speech. The Chinese foreign ministry said Xi will elaborate on new ideas and proposals for building a high-level community with a shared future between China and Africa and announce new actions and measures for practical cooperation with Africa.
At the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue last year, Xi had already briefed his African audience on the upcoming FOCAC summit. "It is a big gathering that both sides are looking forward to. I am confident that China and Africa will carry forward the traditional friendship, enhance solidarity and coordination, and bolster our cooperation across the board," he said.
