On 15th September 2024, Chinese Ambassador H.E. Mr. Fan Yong puts an article titled Join Hands to Advance Modernization and Build an All-weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future for the New Era to local newspaper the Patriot. The full text is as follows：

The Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was convened in Beijing from September 4 to 6, 2024. It is yet another friendly gathering of the big China-Africa family in Beijing after six years, and the event is of great significance and influence. Leaders of all 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China, the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and representatives of more than 30 international and African regional organizations were attending the summit.

Under the theme of “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” the two sides took stock of the journey of China-Africa friendship, commended the progress made in implementing the outcomes of FOCAC, and reached a clear political consensus on strengthening cooperation across the board. Two important documents, the Beijing Declaration and the Action Plan, were adopted unanimously.

The FOCAC “summit week” is a “Global South moment,” a highlight of the joint pursuit of a community with a shared future for mankind. It has sent a powerful message of China and Africa pursuing development together, and demonstrated the Global South’s unwavering confidence in unity and cooperation.

There are several highlights for this Summit.

The first is “the strategic relations”. During the Summit, President Xi Jinping announced that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic relations with China are elevated to the level of strategic relations, the overall characterization of China-Africa relations are elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

Thanks to nearly 70 years of concerted efforts, the China-Africa relationship is now at its best in history. From a new type of partnership to a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership, and to an all-weather community with a shared future for the new era, the China-Africa relationship has kept reaching new heights, with clearer characterization and greater substance. This progress demonstrates the firm resolve of the over 2.8 billion Chinese and African people to share weal and woe and march forward hand in hand amid once-in-a-century transformation of the world, and opens a new chapter in the cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The second is “the six-point proposition”, a six-point proposition on China-Africa joint efforts to advance modernization was articulated. Modernization is an inalienable right of all developing countries. How to achieve modernization and what kind of modernization to achieve is the historical issue facing the Global South. During the Summit, President Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Africa should advance modernization that is just and equitable, that is open and win-win, that puts the people first, that features diversity and inclusiveness, that is eco-friendly, and that is underpinned by peace and security. This proposition is widely accepted by African leaders, and has become a political consensus between China and Africa and will have a significant and far-reaching impact on spearheading faster modernization of the Global South and advancing global modernization.

The third is “the ten partnership actions”. During the summit, The two sides adopted a Beijing Declaration and Action Plan for strengthening China-Africa cooperation in the next three years. President Xi Jinping announced ten partnership actions that China would take with Africa to advance modernization in the next three years.

First, the Partnership Action for Mutual Learning among Civilizations. China is ready to build a platform for governance experience sharing, a China-Africa knowledge network for development and invite 1,000 members of African political parties to China to deepen exchanges of experience in party and state governance. Second, the Partnership Action for Trade Prosperity. China will voluntarily and unilaterally open its market wider, give all LDCs having diplomatic relations with China zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines. It will help turn China’s big market into Africa’s big opportunity. Third, the Partnership Action for Industrial Chain Cooperation. China will push forward the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation and launch an “African SMEs empowerment program” and build with Africa a digital technology cooperation center. Fourth, the Partnership Action for Connectivity. China is prepared to put in place a China-Africa network featuring land-sea links and coordinated development and is ready to assist in the trans-regional development in Africa. Fifth, the Partnership Action for Development Cooperation. China is ready to implement 1,000 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects and work together with Africa to deliver more fruits of development to the two peoples. Sixth, the Partnership Action for Health. China is ready to establish with Africa joint medical centers and will send 2,000 medical personnel to Africa. China will also support the development of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seventh, the Partnership Action for Agriculture and Livelihoods. China will provide Africa with emergency food assistance, build standardized agriculture demonstration areas in Africa and create at least one million jobs for Africa. Eighth, the Partnership Action for People-to-People Exchanges. China will implement with Africa more solidly the Future of Africa—Vocational Education Cooperation Plan and provide 60,000 training opportunities to Africa. The two sides have agreed to designate 2026 as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Ninth, the Partnership Action for Green Development. China is ready to launch 30 clean energy projects in Africa, establish together 30 joint laboratories, and collaborate on satellite remote sensing and lunar and deep-space exploration. Tenth, the Partnership Action for Common Security. China is ready to build with Africa a partnership for implementing the GSI, and make it a fine example of GSI cooperation, provide training for military personnel and police officers from Africa.

President Xi also announced that, to implement the ten partnership actions, the Chinese government will provide RMB360 billion yuan of financial support through the next three years. This breaks down into RMB210 billion yuan of credit line, RMB80 billion yuan of assistance in various forms, and at least RMB70 billion yuan of investment in Africa by Chinese companies.

The fourth one is “the great opportunities”. The Summit creates new opportunities for enhancing friendship and deepening practical cooperation between China and Africa including Botswana for the new era. H.E. Dr. Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi, President of Botswana, led a delegation to attend summit, which fully demonstrates the great importance President Masisi attaches to the development of bilateral friendly cooperation and the deep friendship he has for China. During the Summit, President Xi Jinping met with Botswana President H.E. Dr. Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi. The two presidents had an in-depth exchange of views on China-Botswana traditional friendship and pragmatic cooperation in various areas, charting the course and providing the fundamental guidelines for China-Botswana relationship for the new era. The two heads of state announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Botswana, establishing a new milestone in China-Botswana relations. President Xi Jinping pointed out that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The two sides should systematically review the successful experience gained over the past half century since the establishment of diplomatic relations and remain committed to being partners of mutual trust, common development and close people-to-people bond. He also called on the two sides to firmly support each other and strengthen cooperation in industry, agriculture, minerals, clean energy, education, and medical and health care, among others. President Masisi thanked China for its long-term valuable support to Botswana, saying that Botswana is willing to take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year as an opportunity to push for further development of bilateral relations.

President Masisi also attended a high level meeting on “Industrialization and agricultural modernization” at the Summit. President Masisi said that Botswana has intensified efforts to seek collaborative partnerships for the transformation of the agriculture sector. China is an important strategic partner that Botswana can learn from, so as to realize the goal of food security and sustainable development.

President Xi Jinping has quoted an African proverb during the Summit, A friend is someone you share the path with. This FOCAC Summit proves that on the path to modernization, China and Africa are really true friends. We believe that，by integrating more closely the development of China, Africa and the world and advancing modernization together, it will not only bring tangible benefits to the Chinese and African people, but also provides a strong impetus to international cooperation with Africa, creating favorable conditions for Africa's development and revitalization. China is ready to work with Botswana to follow through on the outcomes of the summit and bring more benefits to the two peoples.