FOCAC 2024: China seeks to further deepen relations with Africa

By Godfred Zina

With its growing interest and influence in Africa, China aims to further enhance its cooperation with African leaders at the upcoming Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit, scheduled for September 4-6, 2024.

As Africa’s largest trading partner, China has played a significant role in the continent’s infrastructure development in recent years. Africa has also seen substantial benefits from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to boost collaboration and connectivity between Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Between 2022 and 2024, China has committed to importing goods valued at US$300 billion from Africa. In addition, China has pledged US$10 billion to improve the quality of African exports and offered a credit line of US$10 billion to support small and medium-sized enterprises in exporting high-quality products to Chinese markets.

China’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs has stated that the summit should serve as an opportunity to amplify the voice of the global South in discussions about global governance reform.

Representatives from 53 African countries that are members of FOCAC are expected to attend the three-day summit in Beijing, which takes place every three years, with the exception of Eritrea.

The Chinese President is anticipated to deliver a keynote address at the summit, during which he will likely announce a new aid package for Africa.

Should African countries begin hosting similar summits?

In the past two years, several African presidents have been invited to attend various international forums, including the US-Africa Summit, the Russia-Africa Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, and the Italy-Africa Summit in Rome. Other meetings with selected African leaders have also been held in Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. Next year, some leaders are scheduled to participate in the Japan-Africa Summit in Yokohama.

The Chinese government plans to hold in-depth discussions with African leaders to develop bilateral economic regulations. This initiative is part of China’s broader strategy to strengthen traditional friendships, deepen solidarity, and explore new avenues for development.

African leaders should consider going beyond simply attending one summit after another and begin collectively formulating a coherent strategy for engaging with these external actors.

Many of the summits attended by African leaders lack broad consultation and engagement with the participating countries, as the agenda is often set primarily by external actors. While Africa has benefited to some extent from these summits, a more proactive approach is needed for the continent to fully leverage the opportunities offered by these external partners.

Godfred Zina is a freelance journalist and an associate with DefSEC Analytics Africa – a consulting agency specializing in the provision of accurate date and assessments on security, politics, investment, trade, and other risks within Africa. He is based in Accra, Ghana.