On April 23 and 24, 42 diplomats from 29 embassies, including 20 African ambassadors to China, met at a training camp in Beijing to work on setting the FOCAC agenda. The retreat was co-hosted by Beijing-based consulting firm Development Reimagined and the African Union Representative Office in China.
After two days of Africa-only talks, the ambassadors were joined by Chinese diplomats, including Wu Peng, director-general of Africa affairs at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Wu also advocated for African-led initiatives at the conference, demonstrating his readiness to understand the continent's development needs.
Representatives from the China-Africa Development Fund, the China-Africa Business Council, the China Institute for International Trade and Economic Cooperation, and the International Knowledge Center on Development attended the retreat.
18:59
Why are the EU and US concerned about China's overcapacity?
Why are the EU and US concerned about China's overcapacity?
Jing Kai, Development Reimagined's Africa-China Cooperation Program Manager, said the purpose of the meeting was to “encourage African ambassadors and diplomats in China with concrete action items to take forward in preparation for FOCAC 9 in 2024.” “It is also about clarifying the need for support for the activities of the government.” ”.
FOCAC is the most important mechanism for engagement between China and the African continent. It is also a forum where China traditionally provides significant funding.
Africa's importance to the Chinese government is not just economic. Politically, most countries on the continent vote in line with China on international issues.
Despite possible obstacles, the Rethinking Development Statement expresses optimism about this year's FOCAC.
“We expect that China's lending is likely to recover to pre-pandemic levels, as Africa's development needs remain significant, particularly in the infrastructure sector,” the report said.
Kenya's Deputy Head of Mission to China, Ambassador Lynette Mwende Ndile, wrote to X about the withdrawal and said the road to FOCAC 9 has begun. The retreat helped “set the agenda for more prudent cooperation and partnership in strategic cooperation between Africa and China,” she said.
But Development Reimagined's chief executive, Hannah Ryder, said African governments were still considering what they wanted to discuss with the September summit still several months away.
“It was also clear at the retreat that global governance reform and manufacturing (including pharmaceuticals and other medical products, and the green transition) are undoubtedly key areas where African countries are seeking to engage with China. ”
Ali Khan Sachu, a sub-Saharan geoeconomic analyst, said the importance of FOCAC cannot be underestimated.
“For me, the FOCAC Summit remains the original and most important Africa-China meeting,” he said.
David Shin, a China-Africa expert and professor at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Studies, said China's lending is unlikely to reach its 2016 peak of $28 billion again. He said that for the past three years, loans from China have been limited to about $1 billion a year.
Part of the reason is that China has already completed so many infrastructure projects in Africa that there isn't much left to do.
“Africa has few large-scale, economically viable infrastructure projects that can be financed. China faces some difficult economic challenges, which further constrains the provision of large-scale infrastructure financing.” “There is a high possibility that it will be done,” he said.
Meanwhile, Singh said China will seek to replace large loans with more foreign direct investment, much of which could go to the agricultural sector. He said food security is a major domestic goal for China. The Chinese government was keen to increase food sources from around the world, including Africa.
“China has long been committed to expanding trade with Africa, and the FOCAC meeting in September will almost certainly include new efforts to do so,” he said.
Singh added that China, Africa's largest trading partner since 2009, has been much more successful in increasing exports to Africa than in increasing exports from Africa to China.
“Africa has had a trade deficit with China since 2012. Africa’s oil exports to China declined significantly in 2023. If this trend continues, Africa’s trade deficit with China will likely increase. It will be,” he said.
