Tag: Africa

What Ugandans can expect from a second Trump Presidency

Posted on By Shemei Ndawula

The legendary Austrian aristocrat Prïñcë Metternich is credited for coining the phrase “when France sneezes, Europe catches a cold”. In the peripherals of the Napoleonic era, his belief was that anything that happened in France had an immediate impact on the whole Europe. At the moment, when America sneezes, the world starts drafting Covid advisories.

For the last few months we have been holding baited breaths watching the largely two horse race of President Trump  and Vice President Harris. Someone recently joked that the Americans should host a masterclass on how to turn your elections into the Grammys of elective politics. Even as the world shifts to a multipolar balance of power, there’s no election remotely close to being as followed as the American presidential election.

President Donald Trump’s first term marked a seeming shift in U.S. foreign policy toward Africa, with an emphasis on reducing direct U.S. involvement while promoting a competitive stance toward European and by large China’s influence. For Uganda and other African nations, the return of President Trump means notable shifts in diplomatic relations, trade policies, and the flow of U.S. aid.

There’s an urban myth that the sitting President does not impact the foreign policies of America much because of how entrenched its bureaucratic machine is. However Trump has pitted himself against this very machine throughout his campaign so his effectiveness will be measured(in the eyes of his voters) in how much he’s able to dislodge it.

The Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy is simply“America First”. For Africans, this often translates to a reduction in direct political engagement and a heightened focus on countering the influence of global powers like China and Russia. President Trump’s rhetoric and actions seem to view Africa  as a strategic foothold against economic and political rivals rather than a region of developmental and diplomatic partnership.

In this second term, we could expect Trump to continue this stance, potentially minimizing U.S. diplomatic engagement unless they are directly aligned with American economic or security interests. This could result in a more transactional relationship where support or partnerships is more negotiable upon political alignment with U.S. strategic interests.

As a country , our position in East Africa as a counter-terrorism ally can possibly still bolster our negotiating power as a  valuable partner of the United States. However, our diplomatic corp needs to understand that Trump means business so we need a comprehensive diplomatic shift transitioning to the Trump Presidency and not just feeling our way through the process.

In trade, President Trump’s past stance involved a shift toward bilateral agreements over multilateral trade deals, which could reshape how the U.S. interacts economically with African countries. Previously, the Trump administration showed limited interest in enhancing or modernizing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides African countries duty-free access to U.S. markets(Uganda was excluded with much fanfare earlier this year). A second term might see the continuation of this stance, potentially pushing African nations, including Uganda, to negotiate individual trade agreements with the U.S.

Uganda has historically benefited from aid from the United States especially in areas like  healthcare, particularly through PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which provides critical support for HIV/AIDS programs. On the other hand President Trump’s approach to aid is more transactional, suggesting that countries benefitting from U.S. aid might be expected to align with U.S foreign policy objectives.

Arguably security aid might not be as directly affected and may even increase, particularly if Uganda continues its role in regional counter-terrorism initiatives in countries like Somalia, where our boots on ground have historically supported United States aligned missions. This creates  a lopsided aid structure favoring security funding over health, education, or infrastructure, making Uganda’s development trajectory more challenging to sustain.

In President Trump’s first administration he consistently tried  to counter what he called China’s influence on the global stage. On the other hand Uganda has embraced significant investment and infrastructure development from China. Unlike the Biden administration, President Trump has often employed a blunt, public approach in addressing governance challenges in other countries, and a similar stance in Uganda could create friction.

However, given Trump’s non-interventionist tendencies in such matters, any direct influence would likely be more rhetorical than otherwise. The Ugandan government might face fewer direct repercussions, but heightened criticism could still impact Uganda’s and perhaps Africa’s world outlook and potentially influence other Western nations’ policies.

Ultimately, this presidency means that African nations should explore diversified international alliances and self-sustained growth, a concept we’ve flirted with for decades. Perhaps a Trump presidency is exactly what we need to benchmark on how to (or perhaps not to) put Africa first

 

Shemei Ndawula is a Senior Research Fellow at Development Watch Center.

 

How China is redefining medical science and services

Posted on By Admin

China prides as one of the most ancient medical civilisations with astonishing accomplishments in traditional herbal remedies. It is also now home to the sharpest cutting-edge biomedical research industry. China’s regular advancements in medical science discoveries are a great promise for the improvement of global health.

Chinese scientists at universities and health agencies tirelessly research the causes of illnesses, prevention measures and cures. They have even discovered efficient treatments for tropical illnesses like malaria while using traditional Chinese medicine.

Several conditions make China a conducive country for wide scientific research and innovation. Being a densely populated country, China has the opportunity of having a diversity of demographic spread across diverse terrains. This implies that its medical evolutions have to cater for a multitude of residents from several geographical spreads. As such, when they make a discovery, it can more easily correspond to the medical needs of other countries due to the inherent breadth of tests and applications (such as different disease patterns, diets and lifestyles) such medicine would have undergone before being approved.

The strides the country has made in public health have seen it nearly double its people’s life expectancy in less than fifty years, with their life expectancy now standing above 78 years. One of the major determinants of life expectancy is lower infant mortality. By 2023, China’s infant mortality rate had dropped to 4.5 per 1,000, meaning out of 1,000 children born in China, less than five are likely to die. Additionally, the mortality rate among children under five years was 6.2 per 1,000. On the other hand, the maternal mortality rate decreased to 15.1 per 100,000, meaning only 15 out of 100,000 women are likely to die while giving birth in China. In contrast, about 16 women die in Uganda per day while giving birth!

In recent years, China has produced peerless achievements in medical science and technology. This has contributed not only to the expansion of the frontiers of global scientific research but has also improved social conditions for humanity.

China has invested substantially in expanding health infrastructure. It has nearly implemented universal health insurance coverage for its huge population. The country has also promoted equal access to public health services by establishing a national essential medicine system. This has fundamentally improved the accessibility of health services.

One of the most inspiring aspects of China’s healthcare system is how it has achieved better health outcomes with less input. Few countries in the world have been able to do this, such as Cuba in South America and in Africa, only Rwanda.

However, with the Chinese population over the age of 65 at about 140 million, China has started to experience the challenges of other higher-income countries. With higher economic growth, fast changes in consumption patterns of its citizens have led to lifestyle diseases, hence demanding an increased expenditure on health care. However, regardless of these emerging needs, it cannot be forgotten that it took rich countries twice the length of time it took China to achieve the same gains in public health care.

In redefining medical science and services, China promoted a people-centred integration of care (PCIC) to ensure that the health system places more emphasis on people’s needs. It has been deliberate about its capital investment decisions by reinforcing and strengthening primary health care (PHC) so that the population can obtain access to affordable health anywhere and at anytime.

China’s health sector is one of the fastest growing globally. Chinese corporations such as Huawei are setting higher standards in digital health innovation. For instance, one of Huawei’s latest innovations is the HUAWEI TruSense System, which promises to bring accurate health tracking that has the potential to improve the health of many people across the world. It has exported over 150 million wearable devices, with over 520 million users of its Health app.

It is beyond doubt that medical science is among the highest achievements of the human race. By contributing to its advancement, China is advancing not just the treatment of disease but raising the measure of what humankind is capable of. From mastering rapid genome sequencing which saw Chinese scientists release the genetic sequence of the coronavirus in as fast as 10 days, to inventing neurosurgery robots that can fluently perform minor invasive surgeries; from building Cloud-based hospitals to ease setting appointments; obtaining referrals; and getting treatment for citizens, to performing safe surgeries using 5G-operated medical machinery, China is redefining what we think is possible in medical science and expanding the means of providing medical services. We should not just look by as Africa, but learn and catch up!

The author is a research fellow at the Development Watch Center.

 

 

 

FOCAC 2024: Tracing the origins of constructive China-Africa Cooperation

Posted on By Ernest Talwana

Since 2000, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has been a constructive multilateral platform for China and African countries to conduct symbiotic cooperation. Let us trace the origins of this forum, which is most certainly one of the most consequential summits for African states as far as addressing pertinent challenges, and opening doors to our individual and collective development is concerned.

Following centuries of mutual cooperation, FOCAC was established jointly between African nations and China as a high-level Sino-African relations mechanism at the beginning of the 21st century.  FOCAC sits on a strong foundation of organic relations, unadulterated by the imperialistic undue influence of China over Africa, unlike Western powers.

When China opened up in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping, it experienced one of the fastest levels of economic development ever registered in human history.

It was thus ripe to venture more exponentially into Africa by the early 1990s. By mid 90s the Chinese economy had sufficiently matured and could afford to extend subsidized concessional loans to enable Chinese businesses to compete in the African market. Around the same time, the Chinese leader then, Jiang Zemin visited half a dozen African countries and made a speech at the headquarters of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), articulating a five-point proposal for the development of “a 21st century-oriented long-term stable China-Africa relationship of all-round cooperation.”

Recovering from the Cold War bickering among Western powers, a number of African countries took the initiative to propose the establishment of a form of China-Africa multilateral cooperation. They had experienced cooperation with other foreign countries for long without any practical, tangible benefits, and had also grown weary of lectures on governance from their former colonial masters and oppressors.  On the other hand, African nationalists in various countries had been supported by comrade Mao Zedong and the Chinese people to fight against Western imperialism during the struggle for independence. China had also emerged as a towering example of transformative leadership which saw them beat centuries of industrial development in less than fifty years. As such, their development experience was most inspiring for poor, agrarian African economies. Many African countries therefore started looking forward to joint development with China, hoping to turn the scales at home too.

When some African countries put up a proposal to China asking for a cooperation mechanism, China responded by organising a conference that would value African countries’ wishes, consider the unique political economy in Africa, focus on practical results, and strive for joint development. It thus invited foreign ministers or ministerial officials in charge of international cooperation or economic affairs to the conference in 1999.

At the conference which was popularly attended by African leaders, the working documents agreed on reflected nuanced differences between the FOCAC and other international mechanisms for cooperation with Africa. The FOCAC document put a high premium on the opinions of African countries, for the first time respecting the kind of development support Africans deemed for themselves, unlike the previous dictates they would get from Western similar mechanisms. There was also a deliberate effort to ensure that there were realistic execution mechanisms to achieve practical results from the initiatives discussed at the conference.

This inaugural conference held in 2000 in Beijing led to the adoption of the Beijing Declaration of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Program for China-Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social Development. This was the first step on a long journey of establishing a stable partnership of equality and mutual benefits in the 21st century between the two parties.

It is now already 24 years down the road since that step was taken. Within that time, several African countries have doubled their trade volumes with China. Africans now trade more with China than all Western countries combined. A number of them have also experienced a steady growth of the economy, including Uganda which has grown at a rate of 6 per cent per annum for over a decade.

This transformation has been partly aided by initiatives agreed upon in the different FOCAC summits. For instance, China has over the years relieved the outstanding debts of African governments, and also issued interest-free loans to avail them of long-term development finance. It has also trained the African human resources, helping African countries improve their communication infrastructure by education engineers, as well as training experts in other fields such as education and health.

If there is anything to learn from the FOCAC 2024 Summit, it is that there is a deepening relationship between China and African countries. This relationship is healthy because of its unique characteristics mutual benefit, mutual respect, and a sense of shared prosperity and a common future. This has set an irrevocable trend in partnership. The practicality of results from this relationship raises the bar high for Western development partners who are constantly involved in self-righteous lectures on how Africans should govern themselves.

The writer is a research fellow at the Development Watch Center.

China at 75: What lessons can Africa Draw from People’s Republic of China

Posted on By Musanjufu Benjamin Kavubu

On the 1st of October 2024, China celebrated its 75th independence day. Seven (7) decades back, it was Ethiopia that was never colonised and its flag inspired almost all West African flags, Liberia that was set up in 1847 by a United States Secretary of state, Egypt, Libya, and Sudan that had attained their independence. Most African countries gained their independence in the late 1950s and 1960s meaning around the same time when the China we see today started taking shape after being used as a second world war battle ground because Japan had occupied most of the country and United Kingdom had interests in its coastline.

After devastating wars to expel foreign influence and dominance and a very brutal civil between the Communist Party of China (CPC), led by Mao Zedong and Kuomintang (KMT) forces, led by Chiang Kai-shek, that ended in 1949. The CPC went a head to established the People’s Republic of China that we know today.

Today the school of thought especially in the resurgence and renaissance of Pan Africanism is that African Problems should be solved by Africans through African solutions researched by African scholars and institutions. This is true because Africa is unique and the Chinese Global Civilization Initiative Model does advocate for such a pathway to a shared future for humanity. It also explains why the Chinese model of Maoism or Communism with Maoist principles was adopted from Marxism-Leninism.

African Renaissance will mostly likely be characterised by Ubuntu and nativism, as driving values of economics, society and governance from a pragmatic point that will be driven by academia and the resultant policy. The Chinese through the 75 years of lived experience can offer Africa the blue print. There is a lot we can learn from them and through partnership instead of an alliance can have a shared future too.

From the independence decade of Africa of 1960-1970 the continent saw war after war, Civil wars, insurgencies, and interethnic violence. Africa has been plagued by a gun culture that was introduced during the 400 years of slave trade and sadly it continues up to now. Out of the about 53 major conflicts in the world by 2024 about 15 to 20 are on the African continent, for example in Sudan, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique among others. Of course there is hope that these will stop since most of the fighting is being fueled by forces off Africa. As a continent we need to pause and find out how much we invest in war because our counterparts in China even with a strong military are mocked for having no battle experience simply because they don’t have the thirst for war and they have made that clear, in their Global Security Initiative (GSI) model they used to end the cold war between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Africa is trying to build the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to connect the continent, promote unity, trade and alleviate poverty. China has lifted 770 million people out of poverty according to world Bank data, which is 75% of the world’s poverty reduction, this is something that as a continent we should look into because at the moment this continent is estimated to have about 1.5 billion people and about 490 million live on less than $ 2 a day. The numbers suggest we too can easily reach the Chinese mark.

China through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is funding the construction of roads, railways, deep sea ports, airports and other transportation hubs across the African continent, back in China their record over the 75 years has been 5.4 million kilometers of roads, 160,000 kilometers of railways, and 38,000 kilometers of high speed rails across China, surely this is commendable and something worth copying to make Africa connectivity a thing instead of a dream.

What is the likelihood that you are reading this article from a Chinese produced device, today even European and American firms run to China for manufacturing, the blue print is in place and Beijing has availed all these through their Global Development Initiative (GDI), an opportunity for Africa to have its own industrial revolution after all we have the raw materials and the potential for support infrastructure to also be a global player in manufacturing.

China was a poor as Africa 75 years ago and it’s the second largest economy, they are leading in electric vehicles putting them at the forefront of Renewable energy technology an area that many African countries have explored already. China is leading in space technology and aeronautics and astrophysicists say the equator is important in this sector, meaning Africa can just jump into the field and thrive.

Over the past seven decades, China’s diplomatic capacity has grown through the setup of comprehensive bilateral relationships, active participation in multilateral organisations like BRICS, and initiatives like the BRI, which promote global trade and infrastructure. China’s role as a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions even on the African continent, promotion of soft power through sports for example, the term Bird’s Nest is synonymous with the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing and save for South Africa, Africa is yet to host a major sporting event for the last 70 decades yet the continent boasts of the talent in sports and leisure a major cultural aspect of life. China’s involvement in crisis management and international negotiations on issues like climate change further demonstrate its growing influence and commitment to global governance and stability and its this table that Africa needs a seat too.

With a young and promising academia like China was 75 years back, research should guide African policy making. African governments and the African Union can, just like the State Council of the People’s Republic of China and Politburo of the Communist Party of China and its Standing Committees be dedicated to improving the well-being of African people, invest in development instead of warfare to attain that shared future that the world deserves.

As China enjoys its 75th independence festivities Africa can look on and pick ideas to make Africa solutions by African a reality.

The writer is a research fellow at the Sino-Uganda Research Centre

 

Xi Jinping’s Call for a Win-Win Partnerships Should Be The Basis For Modern Diplomacy

Posted on By Alan Collins Mpewo

The speech by His Excellence Xi Jinping as the keynote address during the just concluded opening of the 9th FOCAC Ministerial Conference was timely. The contents came at a time when the world is in times fragile relations among countries. The globalisation agenda in the early stages of the FOCAC’s formation were equally timely because it set a pace for the foundation of the recent FOCAC Ministerial Conference. As the practice, congratulatory remarks were delivered before recalling the lengthy but worthwhile journey thus far, for the member states. Of all said and done regarding the achievements, the migration to green technology and financing has been the greatest for attention. The world grapples with managing carbon emissions versus survival which is equally essential especially for industrial output much of which goes to domestic consumption.

Ultimately the major goal of the FOCAC was to enable a cross continent partnership but with it had to come great compromise. The Western model has for decades now been contested and formation of global partnership platforms like FOCAC come off as inevitable protest. Emphasis has always been on finding alternatives to the Western model which is one for mutual respect and benefits. In the keynote speech, China understands the balance required and it’s not a surprise that FOCAC membership has grown steadily over the years. The forecast is now enhancing partnership to more factors such as global security, peace and independence. Interesting, about 98% of the FOCAC members are former colonies for most Western world countries who have consistently come off as providing help and support, but with a tricky often unsaid but publicly known secret of underlying strings attached.

China understands that next FOCAC agenda is going to be a determining one because of the threats to thriving that have showcased themselves. Intermeddling at the highest stage of the United States has been reported overtime and most countries shun away from some resolutions because of the believed bias and prejudice in decision making. Then comes the IMF policies regarding funding and other such financial and political wings. Today, China and Africa are saying ‘No’ to some bully tendencies while aware of the prevailing consequences. Empowerment of all partner states versus the dependency syndrome was highlighted in many words of explanation, and it goes to show the cognisance of global affairs. FOCAC continues to seek scheme a way through global politics to reexamine state independence on the world center stage of diplomacy. As at the end of the 9th FOCAC Ministerial Conference, the deals and partnerships struck among the various partners were numerous and more will be reported as time passes compared to the Western model of winner takes it all.

The win-win value has constantly been noted as the most efficient and sustainable in the present world because of the enormous forces of independent thought and recall of histories that sparked antagonisms that accounted for great losses of life and livelihoods. For yet another historic time in FOCAC history, the globalisation agenda has included Africa’s interests with the World Bank, the 2063 Africa Union agenda, the World Trade Organization interests, and others alike. Africa has persevered with challenges of connectivity and as resounding, the belt and road initiative is still ongoing, to complement AU’s 2063 agenda of modernisation part of which looks at easing cross border cooperation, travel, and exchange of goods and services. Currently, there is still a challenge in realising these because of (but not limited to) regional conflicts which in most cases have a blessing from Western powers. Regional destabilisation of select countries’ internal politics is a tool that has been proved to be working in some colonies.

Because of the foregoing, a new entrant to extended attention is the partnership to security and peace. Xi Jinping’s China understands that there cannot be proper drivers of the modernisation agenda and with a shared future with raging conflicts. Therefore, the next phase for FOCAC will be on high alert to possible ending of conflict in member states because that wouldn’t serve any achievement to the FOCAC resolutions. It is a beacon of hope for the people that live in FOCAC’s member states because they rank highest among the priorities of the 9th FOCAC Ministerial Conference. Shared cultures, tolerance for diversities, exploitation of science and technologies, exchange programs in education and pedagogy, enhancement of industrialisation and trade, development in agriculture, peace and security, and green development.

As a highlight, the word partnership came up most times, and it is one of the most cited key words signalling the foundation and identity of the diplomacy being exhibited by China and Africa. There cannot be any doubt that what will be achieved in the next chapter will as shall be noted in the next FOCAC Ministerial Conference, be victory in achieving the action points of the adopted declaration of the 9th FOCAC Ministerial Conference.

The writer is a Senior Research Fellow at the Development Watch Center

China-Africa Relations: An Agreement Built in Glue

Posted on By Salim Abila Asuman

Have you ever tried gluing two pieces of paper together that are reluctant to stick together, one hesitant to adhere and prefers to do lumps with the stickier paste? Welcome to the world of building agreements where it is not only about making the glue work, but it is equally important that it must last.

In this article, I explain how China builds agreements with its partners into impenetrable bonds which even the most tenacious of parties cannot tear asunder.

Irrefutably, China is the unsurpassed in international affairs when it comes to the building of agreements. In contrast, Western nations often seem to randomly slap glue on their agreements and then are shocked when their agreements fall apart.

But what is the secret of China regarding the durability of their engagements, while those of Western nations are so easily broken and dissolved?

What worked for China’s approach was applying glue to and on every edge so that each and every corner should stick before going to other pieces. Now, think of the Belt and Road Initiative; it is an all-inclusive Chinese agreement.

The BRI is much more than a high-level infrastructure development undertaking; rather, it constitutes a matrix of associations built upon strategic loans and technological handovers underpinned by long-term cooperation. Each contract in the BRI constitutes one that inscribes an exercise of patience, trenched and designed to benefit both China and its various partners. Such a tie binds them together in mutual embrace from which it is hard to break.

The looming question is why do this agreement last, while those with the West often fail? Look no farther, the answer is in the glue, on how it is applied, the intension of applying it and the strength of the connection it formulates. Agreements with China are based on mutual respect and long-term cooperation.

It is not just an effort to sign the agreements; the effort is in ensuring that it lasts. This itself explains why most of the countries that find themselves involved in the BRI often find themselves in relationships which remain intact even at the face of challenges. China does not walk away after the initial deal but always stays on, reinforcing the bond as needed.

The foundation of Uganda’s rise to progress heights is based on the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between Uganda and the People’s Republic of China, binding the affluences of Uganda and China together.

The effort is not just in signing the agreements but in the sustainability of those agreements. This perhaps explains why nations absorbed in the BRI often find themselves in ties that last longer than challenges. China does not walk away after the first contract; it stays around, reinforces, and reassures the relationship where needed I repeat.

It is on this premise, that the commitments in each agreement China reaches serve as a foothold to provide solid joint ventures, technology transfer, and capacity building. It is a result of such a setting that with each passing day, Uganda and China’s bond becomes stronger economically thus laying a sound footing for sustainable growth.

However, there is no climb without risks, hence the Uganda-China Bilateral Investment Treaty, or as it were called, the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement serves as a join, making investments stable and secure. Like a knot tied with precision, this treaty ties the two nations into commitments for building confidence and resilience against the uncertainties of the market.

Compare this to the Western treaties, that so often feel like the equivalent of sticking two pieces of paper together with a cheap glue stick, there is a connection, sure, but it is flimsy and prone to peeling apart under pressure.

Take, for instance, the Paris Climate Agreement, hyped as some sort of grand achievement; in reality, it was not. Some Western countries, perhaps due to altered political affluences or economic compulsions, have rolled back on their commitments or fallen short of their targets. Here, the glue was too thin, put on in rapidity and without consideration for long-term implications.

So, why does this happen? It is because most of the treaties formed in the West stand based on very short-term gains or politicking rather than long-term workable partnership. They may appear firm on the surface, but often there are imbalances in conditions underneath which may favour the more powerful nation with limited regard for the lasting effect on the weaker party. These agreements, in the absence of reinforcement(s), begin to crack and fall apart when circumstances change.

Another reason is due to the absence of a follow-through. In many Western agreements the parties simply walk away once the ink is dry, assuming signing a document is enough to hold it. However, without consistent effort even the best intentions crumble.

China treats agreements as ongoing commitments. It will not refrain from applying more glue if needed; check in, adjust terms, and see that both sides are well glued, no doubt China-Africa Relations is built in glue.

The writer is a research fellow at the Development Watch Centre

Lessons for Africa from China’s development contradictions

Posted on By Ernest Talwana

China is one of the few countries which ruthlessly defined the kind of society they want to have, uninfluenced or forced by foreigners. The creation of a genuinely homegrown social system upon which to build the political economy was the foundation of China’s industrialisation.

The first lesson is that each nation needs to define its course of development, based on its own social characteristics. China chose the socialist relations of production, and they turned out better suited to spark the development of the productive forces in the country. Its experiment with socialist ideas led to an unparalleled speed of growth never known before in the old Chinese society, let alone in the world. Before the CCP assumed power and changed the course of China, the country was plagued by imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat-capitalism. These systems of rule oversaw extremely slow production in the old China.

Chairman Mao Zedong argued that only socialism could save China. By work or luck, indeed the socialist system promoted the most rapid development of the productive forces of China, a fact undisputed even by Western countries which took hundreds of years to develop to levels that China surmounted in half a century.

Of course, China did not experience transformation as soon as they implemented socialist policies. There were several complaints faced by Mao’s government because large numbers of people led a very hard life. However, Chairman Mao always encouraged his 600 million citizens that the standard of living would improve with time, which it did. He explained that they slow growth of economy was fundamentally the imperialists and their agents had oppressed, exploited and impoverished China for over a century. He promised that China would need several decades of intensive efforts to raise the standard of living of its whole population, step by step. This explanation is relatable in Africa. Often, analysts describe African states as “failed,” forgetting that these are nations under construction, not grown states under destruction. Like China, Africa is curtailed by the enduring legacy of colonialism which still hinders its progress. Therefore, we also need strong leaders to define a new course for our states, to define our future on our own terms, and slowly lift our people out of poverty.

Mao Zedong also argued for the remoulding of Chinese business people and intellectuals, to refine their world outlook and adopt a thinking constructive for their country. This is a very significant undertaking for any country to develop. Western countries mould their elites through decades of ideological persuasion in schools and universities, to make them think in ways that serve Western interests. Unfortunately, in Africa, our elites also undertake Western education and gain the kind of epistemic instruction that inculcates into them Western biases that support Western markets at the expense of our domestic economies. This is a disease suffered by our highest-ranking leaders – presidents, ministers, permanent secretaries, central bank governors, etc. We need to inculcate ideas that promote our domestic interests, just like China did, if we are to develop.

Another front on which Mao’s ideas out performed was on education. Mao argued that China’s educational policy must enable everyone who gets an education, to develop morally, intellectually and physically and become a cultured, socialist-minded worker. He argued for spreading the idea of building China through hard work and thrift. That young Chinese people should understand that China was still a very poor country, and could not radically transform in a short time. He premised that only through the united efforts of the younger generation and all Chinese people working hard could the country be made strong and prosperous over a period of several decades.

One observes from this that Mao was a very patient man. He did not promise unrealistic dreams for his people like most African politicians do. He was a great strategist who analysed his nation’s prospects over the long term.

He observed the establishment of China’s socialist system had opened the road leading to the ideal state of the future, but warned that only through working hard, very hard indeed, would that ideal become a reality. He cautioned young people at the time to avoid thinking that everything ought to be perfect once a socialist society is established, noting that this would be unrealistic. Like Mao’s China, many African nations are burdened and stretched by the ambitions of young people who have unrealistic expectations from their governments.

Our governments lack the resource envelope to finance the aspirations of millions of youths, even if we did not suffer corruption. However, what made Mao’s China stable even under the affliction of youth aspirations was the leadership of Chairman Mao, which consistently encouraged youth to work to better their condition and not expect immediate socio-economic transformation.

The writer is a research fellow at the Development Watch Center.

9th FOCAC summit: A Further Demonstration of China’s commitment to Shared prosperity

Posted on By Musiime George

This year’s Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FoCAC) summit in Beijing further underscored China’s commitment to shared prosperity. This message  was driven home through the keynote address of president Xi Jinping at the opening of the FoCAC summit earlier this month. In his speech, president Xi emphasised multiple  key areas for China-Africa cooperation over the next three years. These included; agriculture, health, development and livelihood, green development, security et cetera. Moreover, all of these areas were in perfect alignment with the Africa’s aspiration of becoming a global powerhouse. And not just that, but also, they  tied in well with the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063.

Central to the agenda for China-Africa cooperation set at the 2024 FOCAC in Beijing was building on past achievements of  this friendship. China-Africa cooperation  has already been addressing strategic challenges on the continent  including infrastructure, industrialisation, food security, health, security etcetera. Moreover, many of these challenges have for long been bottlenecks in the continent’s pursuit of modernisation. Indeed these challenges needed addressing like yesterday. China through its cooperation with Africa   has thus become a trailblazer in giving this much needed attention to these Cinderella-continental challenges. Therefore, President Xi’s address  backed by China’s pledge of 360-billion-yuan in financial support was a sign of China’s commitment not only to driving shared prosperity but also building mutually beneficial and transformative China-Africa cooperation. Thus the agenda for China-Africa Cooperation set at the 2024 FOCAC is important not only because China and Africa account for one-third of the world’s population. It is also extremely important to Africa and particularly sub-Saharan Africa; a continent that is home to about 60% of global poverty.

Different scholars have tried to explain why China-African Cooperation has been on the rise over the years. Among them is  Gyude Moore, a fellow at the Centre for Global Development. He explains China’s growing foothold in Africa by juxtaposing the western view of Africa with that of China. He contends that whereas the west views Africa as a problem needing to be solved,  China perceived the continent as a place of enormous potential and opportunity. Hence, this and  an appreciation of Africa’s place on the global stage is what informs our dealings and forms the bedrock of China-Africa cooperation .

Conversely , he contrasts this view with  the Western view where Africa is seen as a problem needing a solution and a partner of lesser significance. This has also become a foundation for the preference of interference over intervention. It is this divergence of perception that he contends accounts for growing willingness by Africa to work with China. Even more important, China’s engagement with Africa is not  imposed on Africa. Instead it is  the outcome of aligned aspirations, interests and mutual friendship between the two partners. According to Mr. Moore, other than view Africa through a Rudyard Kipling lens of the “white man’s burden,”   China chooses to view Africa as an equal partner. Indeed, other than exploit the opportunity for unilateral gain, China also works towards a mutually beneficial partnership with Africa.

In his address at the FOCAC summit, president Xi committed to 100% no-tariff treatment to imports from 33 African countries. In light of mutually beneficial cooperation, there is no better display of reciprocity than this. This is a practical move towards turning China’s big market into Africa’s big opportunity. Indeed, it would  also positively impact on  Africa’s participation in global trade. Therefore commitments under the action for trade and prosperity present  huge prospects for Africa and make China the first to make such a commitment.

Relatedly, regarding the Global Security Initiative, the 9th FOCAC summit committed to partnership for common security. This is rooted deeply in China’s strong belief that common prosperity cannot occur in the absence of common peace and security. Indeed one of the major huddles on Africa’s road to progress has forever been peace  and security or the lack thereof. Realising the significant gains under the BRI cooperation, guaranteeing that progress has become top of our list of most important objectives.  In a world where security is a critical ingredient in development,  the commitment of one-billion yuan in military grants, training for 6000 army, and 1000 police and law enforcement officers and exchanges will help to build capacity for peace and  security on the continent. This will in turn fine-tune our capacity for modernisation as a continent.

Most importantly, we can not ignore the reality of  today’s world; the growing competition between the West and China. While this might seem to create options, it also creates a need for Africa to evaluate outcomes and potential for outcomes alike. A wise word from Xi Zhongxun during the reform period was that words alone will not help our people . This is something that President Xi and China understands  very well till today . Indeed there’s already visible and quantifiable benefits of China-Africa Cooperation all across the continent. Moreover the president’s keynote address made more than promises. It went as far as committing   funds for the different  action areas of China-Africa cooperation over the next 3 years.

Thus, from Africa looking inwards, president Xi Jinping’s keynote addressing at the 2024 was the blueprint for strengthening the thriving China Africa-friendship. It was Proof of how seriously china takes it cooperation with Africa. This agenda for China-Africa Cooperation will be the bridge that brings us yet another step closer to a modernised Africa, our aspirations as a continent and a better and more beneficial China-Africa.

The writer is a research fellow at the Sino-Uganda Research Centre

Speak and Place: Where Does President Xi Jinping’s Speech at the 2024 FOCAC Summit Put Africa?

Posted on By Abdurahim Ssemanda

In his book, Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity, Abraham Joshua Heschel remarks that “Words Create Worlds.” By far to moralists, this is not a fallacy. When we speak, we create, and in our creations, we place or put something new somewhere in a place. As a result, it is indisputable that President Xi Jinping’s speech at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit held in Beijing on 5th September 2024, has a huge implication on Africa and it clearly points out his position and Africa’s position in FOCAC. In this article therefore, I am going to analyse what it actually means for Africa to be in this cooperation and where the cooperation places Africa in relation to President Xi’s speech.

In his keynote address,  the President of the People’s Republic of China remarked that; “as we are about to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, we are going all out to build a great modern socialist country in all respects and pursue national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization. Africa is also awakening again, and the continent is marching in solid strides toward the modernisation goals set forth in the AU’s Agenda 2063.” By reference to AU’s Agenda 2063, it clearly indicates that China is purely cognisant of the goals set by Africans in order to achieve development for Africans. This therefore tells us that China willingness to work with African countries to realise their potential is genuine and purely driven by China’s wish to support building a community of shared future for mankind. It means, as a former colony which like African countries suffered injustices of colonial masters, China just chips in to help African countries realise their development goals. Thus, Beijing doesn’t do it by interfering in African affairs but rather, shared developmental ideas, at times funds and leaving final decisions to be taken by African governments.

By this, President Xi clearly indicates that amity, and respect for each other,  is a core value in the cooperation between China and Africa. He shows us that even when there is a need to adopt the means of development just as the Chinese Path to Modernity, it should be an incorporation and blending of African thoughts alongside Chinese thoughts. Put differently, China respects the decisions of African governments, their rights and values. For such, indeed it is an ideal cooperation that Africa has lacked.

With this approach, China excels as the best country ever to cooperate with Africa as far as development is concerned. This is simply because, it makes China to perfectly fit in the analogy of a good curriculum developer who has thoroughly understood what is the problem (The problem or need for Africa), who is facing the problem (Characteristics and the needs of Africans), the intended outcomes or what will the Africans be able to do, the important and relevant means, and ways or methods through which the desired goals can be achieved. Whereas one might argue that China will not do different things to help Africa achieve modernisation and development, another one can argue that it is differently doing those obvious things like funding projects. However, Africa’s problem has always been who it cooperates with. Most of the countries especially those in the West have failed to understand and respect Africa’s and the demands of Africans. However, President Xi’s speech signals a lot of awareness and respect for Africa as far as this cooperation is concerned.

For instance, in a move to promote modernisation, President Xi argued that; We should jointly advance modernisation that is just and equitable. In promoting modernisation, we should not only follow the general rules, but also act in light of our national realities. China is ready to increase exchanges of governance experience with Africa, support all countries in exploring modernisation paths befitting their national conditions, and help ensure equal rights and equal opportunities for all countries. His choice of words clearly indicates that Africa will not be thought and decided for but rather, decisions of modernising Africa shall come on a round table. By this, problems of some powers pretending to know us (Africans) better than we know ourselves shall be solved with the shift to China.

Furthermore, President Xi called for the advancement of modernisation that puts the people first. In this call, he remarked that the ultimate goal of modernisation is the free and full development of human beings. He talked about how China would work vigorously with Africa to promote personnel training, poverty reduction and employment, focused on enhancing the sense of gain, happiness and security of the people in the course of modernisation, and ensure that all will benefit from the process. The concept of personnel training alone shows how China aims at training the Africans to catch the fish themselves rather than giving them the fish. This predictably signals a country with which Africa is cooperating that aims at equipping people with skills of sustaining themselves rather than relying on foreign help and support. To any careful observer, one can clearly see that China is helping Africans to realize that it is possible to stand alone without depending on other powers, especially those we look at as developed countries. This is an idea that the West cannot stand doing for Africans.

The visionary President of China further remarked that China and Africa account for one-third of the world population. Without our modernisation, there will be no global modernisation. In the next three years, China will work with Africa to take the following ten partnership actions for modernisation to deepen China-Africa cooperation and spearhead the Global South modernisation. Any person who would have a reason to doubt China’s authenticity as far as cooperating with Africa is concerned now has all the reasons to believe that China is the right country to cooperate with. The president stressed issues that are meant to help the cooperation stand for centuries ahead rather than being focused on how the cooperation would benefit China.

In conclusion, President Xi’s speech clearly places Africa at the forefront of development and clearly reassures Africa that it has got a genuine escort on her journey to development. President Xi’s frequent use of the first person plural pronoun (we) also vividly shows that Africa has got a companion and a brother who understands Africa’s challenges and is willing to help her sail through. The speech emphasises harmonious cooperation full of respect for culture and values of Africa and its people with harmony being a central pillar in achieving the desired goals.

Ssemanda Abdurahim is a research fellow at the Sino-Uganda Research Centre

 

FOCAC: Understanding China-Africa Areas of Cooperation

Posted on By Ernest Talwana

The Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is the official multi-lateral cooperation mechanism within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) between several African countries and China. Each FOCAC summit usually results in a three-year action plan, with activities agreed on to be implemented bilaterally between China and individual African Countries and with China pledging support for African countries in several areas of cooperation. Let’s understand the various sectors of cooperation encompassed in this year’s summit, which happened on Wednesday, Sep 4, 2024 – Friday, Sep 6, 2024.

Differently put, one may wonder what is in it for Africa? African countries have various individual and collective development goals which they pursue when they go to the FOCAC meetings. This year, those goals are encapsulated in a number of highlighted commitments between China and African nations to realize mutual cooperation, economic growth and sustainable development. These areas include Mutual learning among civilisations; Trade prosperity; Industrial chain cooperation; Connectivity; Development cooperation; Health; Agriculture and livelihoods; People-to-people exchanges; Green development and lastly Common security.

FOCAC is a critical platform for China-Africa cooperation because of its unique consideration for supporting the Global South’s priorities. In this, it offers an alternative to the restrictive, arrogant, talk-down kinds of aid dependency that African states had endured for decades under the patronage of Western-Bretton Woods institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. With FOCAC, African leaders can now negotiate mutually beneficial agreements with China in a manner never precedented in history.

Cooperating on common security

No development can happen in a state of insecurity. African countries have been tied back from the course of development because many spend great attention, resources and time while fighting civil wars, terrorism and against Western imperialism. This state of chronic insecurity affects their ability to concentrate on infrastructural development and modernisation while the rest of the world is advancing. China under FOCAC promised to give Africa $140.5M in military assistance. Additionally, Comrade Xi Jinping committed to having training programs, and joint military exercises to create a “mine-free Africa” in order to the safety of people working on developmental infrastructure projects. This is a solid guarantee of peace and security to Africa to set off on its modernisation agendas.

Deepening Industrial Cooperation

Development cannot happen without industrialisation. African economies are currently largely importers of foreign goods which leads to a haemophilic drainage of their foreign reserves due to spending the little they have on buying external goods. To end this parasitic bleeding of African economies, China will support the construction of industrial clusters in Africa to empower Africans to engineer their own products and become industrially self-reliant. It also promised to build a technology cooperation center with 20 digital demonstration projects in Africa.

Providing opportunities for Trade prosperity

About 33 African countries stand to gain from China’s zero-tariff policy. This is good because many less developed countries especially in Africa lack sufficient capacity to trade with rich countries like China due to tariff barriers. Therefore, a zero-tariff policy will not only open China’s market further but also create an opportunity for African states to sell to the Chinese huge market.

Supporting Connectivity

China is already Africa’s biggest infrastructural development financer. Over 100,000 kilometres of road networks and expressways have been built in Africa with Chinese support in order to have connectivity. Additionally, bridges, hydropower dams, railway lines and ports have been built in China. To this, the FOCAC summit came with more promises by China to work on 30 infrastructure projects in Africa. This will further deepen our mutual Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation.

Cooperating in building robust Public Health

Africa is highly a disease-ridden continent, which puts a heavy burden on our national budgets and eats away at our developmental budget. Poor public health systems also render millions of Africans an economically unproductive constituency of their governments, while at the same time collapsing the public wallet because of the health expenditures. China will build more hospitals under the China-Africa hospital alliance to provide health care to Africans. It will also support us with over 2,000 medical personnel in addition to investing in Africa’s pharmaceutical production. This will go a long way in strengthening public health systems on the continent.

Promoting Agriculture and improving livelihoods

China promises financial support in food assistance as well as building agricultural demonstration areas and sending experts and creating jobs through joint ventures with African entrepreneurs. Some of these projects are already running, and Uganda is one of the exemplary beneficiaries with a robust rice farming scheme supported by China in Butalejja district.

Cooperating on Green development

As the world weans itself off of crude oil due to its deleterious effect on the climate, China is poised to implement 30 clean energy projects in Africa and also support the protection of our rich biodiversity. FOCAC also earned us cooperation on nuclear technology and space exploration, fields which are key to our energy needs and communication.

Promoting People-to-people exchanges

China promised to enable the growth of vocational education in Africa by offering training opportunities for our youth to learn hands-on skills they can use to build industrial products. This is a very constructive area of collaboration since it is where Chinese excellence is – in a large population of skilled people with hands-on capabilities.

In conclusion, there are a lot of opportunities that we look forward to harness from the concluded FOCAC summit. Many commitments and promises were made. It is now time for work to utilise the goodwill China has shown us over the years. Our previous dealings with China have proved that it is a reliable development partner which is keen on real results and practical cooperation. As such, its promises can be banked on.

The writer is a research fellow at the Sino-Uganda Research Center.