The People’s Republic of China has said the implementation of the Ten Partnership Actions with Africa has the potential to boost ties between China and Africa, stressing that the partnership would also strengthen the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, said this in his speech at an International Conference (West Africa) Second Post-FOCAC Abuja Forum at the Chinese Cultural Center in Abuja with the theme; “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Achieve the Ten Partnership Actions in an All- Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.”
He noted that during the Beijing Summit of FOCAC held last September, Chinese President Xi Jinping and African leaders agreed to advance the ‘Six Modernizations’ and jointly implement the ‘Ten Partnership Actions’. These initiatives, he said, aim to catalyse the cause of China-Africa modernization and elevate the China- Africa community with a shared future to new heights.
The ‘Ten Partnership Actions’ encompass cooperation across ten critical domains including cultural exchange, trade facilitation, industrial chain integration, infrastructure connectivity, sustainable development, public health, agriculture advancement, people-to-people bonds, green economy transition and security cooperation.
“Rooted in the common aspirations and fundamental interests of Chinese and African peoples, these initiatives respond to our shared modernization priorities and inject forceful momentum into China-Africa cooperation.
“In just nine months after the FOCAC Beijing Summit, China and Africa have achieved significant progress in implementing the ‘Ten Partnership Actions’, with strengthened strategic mutual trust, deepened practical cooperation, and enhanced multilateral coordination.
“These developments demonstrate that China-Africa cooperation rests upon a solid foundation, addresses broad shared needs, and possesses immense potential,” the envoy said.
Ambassador Dunhai noted that the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of FOCAC was held in Changsha, Hunan Province of China, to advance the implementation of the Forum’s outcomes. This gathering coincided with FOCAC’s 25th anniversary and has drawn significant international attention.
He pointed out that China will extend zero-tariff treatment for 100% tariff lines to all 53 African countries with diplomatic relations, through the entry into agreements on economic partnership for shared development.
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He added that China would facilitate enhanced access to exports from Africa’ s Least Developed Countries to China, including streamlined goods trade regulations, optimized inspection, quarantine and customs clearance, as well as expanded capacity building programs and promotion of campaigns for premium African products.
The envoy said further that he stands ready to work with the African side to advance the ‘Ten Partnership Actions’ through priority cooperation in green industries, e-commerce and payment systems, science and technology, and AI institutional collaboration in security, finance and rule of law.
In his address, Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, Director of the Centre for Contemporary China- Africa Research in Nigeria, described China-Africa relation as a “formidable force to break, a concert of giants, a bandwagon of hope and a journey of resilience.”
He said “Today Africa is coming out of the gloomy days, in its cooperation with China, Africa is, for the first time, assured of the beacon of true modernization and development, through: first, building mutual trust, mutual assistance, mutual learning, exchanges and common development.
“This rapid mutual chemistry and mutual assistance caught the attention of the international community, which marked the surfacing of China in global governance, poverty reduction, industrialization, taking path to modernization and investing in African development.”
Director General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) Joseph Tegebe, said that over the course of the past 10 months, the NCSP has been building a framework that promotes sustainable bilateral cooperation, removes bureaucratic friction, provides clarity to investors, and safeguards Nigeria’s national interests.