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